Hungary detains former central bank governor Gyorgy Matolcsy

Former Hungarian central bank governor Gyorgy Matolcsy was detained on the morning of October 21, his lawyer Pal Batki told Telex. The lawyer said Matolcsy was suspected of economic fraud and using a forged private document.

Batki said the suspected fraud involved significant financial damage. Matolcsy was taken to the prosecution service’s central investigative office. Prime Minister Peter Magyar also announced the detention.

Prosecutors reported coordinated investigative actions at several locations in a case linked to the central bank. The office described an investigation into alleged breach of trust causing particularly large financial losses.

Fidesz spokesman Bertalan Havasi called for an impartial procedure free of political pressure. Matolcsy has denied wrongdoing, the Associated Press reported.

In September 2026, the central bank’s new management filed a complaint concerning possible abuses involving five properties. Governor Mihaly Varga later said a further 30 thousand pages of documents had been sent to a parliamentary commission.

Matolcsy led Hungary’s central bank from 2013 to 2025, while Viktor Orban headed the government.