Hungary: prosecutors seek to jail former central bank chief Matolcsy pending trial

Former Hungarian central bank governor György Matolcsy was detained on Wednesday morning and taken to the Central Chief Prosecution Office for Investigations. According to his lawyer, Pál Bátki, he is suspected of economic fraud causing significant financial damage and of using a forged private document. After his questioning ended in the afternoon, prosecutors requested pre-trial detention; a judge is expected to rule on Friday, Daily News Hungary reported. Matolcsy is presumed innocent and has denied wrongdoing in the management of the foundations’ funds.

Matolcsy led the National Bank of Hungary for 12 years until 2025 and is seen as a longtime ally of former Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. The case centres on the central bank’s foundations, whose predecessors received more than 266 billion forints (about €700 million) from exchange-rate gains. A disputed contract dated 28 February 2025 allegedly shifted ownership of the asset manager Optima, which oversees assets worth nearly 200 billion forints. Prosecutors have not yet put an exact figure on the damage but say it far exceeds the 500 million forint threshold.

Two other people were detained, and investigators sought international arrest warrants for two more. The State Audit Office had earlier criticised an opaque network of companies and investments, and both the current central bank leadership and the audit office filed criminal complaints. Bátki said the defence could not respond until it had seen the evidence.