The president of UDMR, Kelemen Hunor, reacted after the mayor of Buduslău, Kócza István, was caught red-handed by the prosecutors of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO), while he allegedly received 150,000 lei, an amount considered the last installment of a total bribe estimated at 200,000 lei.
The UDMR leader announced that he immediately demanded the resignation of the mayor from all positions held within the formation and requested the Bihor county organization to suspend him from the party for the duration of the investigation.
“I learned from the media that an investigation was opened on suspicion of corruption in the name of Kócza István, the mayor of Buduslău commune, Bihor county”Kelemen Hunor sent on Facebook.
He emphasized that the UDMR cannot accept such situations among its elected officials: “For the Hungarian Democratic Union in Romania, it is unacceptable that any elected official abuses public trust or is involved in a case of corruption.”
“I asked him to resign from all the positions he holds within the Union. I also asked the leaders of the Bihor county organization to suspend his membership for the duration of the investigation.” the UDMR leader also specified.
He added that justice must take its course: “Justice must do its duty unhindered.”
According to the European Public Prosecutor’s Office, the investigation coordinated by the office in Timișoara concerns a contract financed by European funds for the modernization of the agricultural road infrastructure.
The prosecutors claim that, starting from October 2025, the mayor would have asked a representative of a company for a bribe of approximately 5% of the value of the contract, estimated at around 770,000 euros. In total, the alleged amount would have been approximately 38,500 euros (about 200,000 lei).
“In exchange for the money, he allegedly promised to ensure the smooth running of the contract and speed up payments for works financed through the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development,” investigators say.
According to the EPPO, the money would have been received in several installments, and the last payment, of approximately 150,000 lei, would have been made at the time of the flagrant action on Tuesday, May 19. The mayor was indicted for corruption and placed under judicial control for 60 days, during which he cannot exercise his office.
Contacted by the media, Kócza István denied the allegations, curtly stating that it was “not true”, before hanging up.
