Hungarian MEP charged with spying 'for Russia'

BUDAPEST: Hungarian prosecutors filed charges Wednesday against Bela Kovacs, a member of the European Parliament from the radical nationalist Jobbik party, in a probe into alleged spying for Russia.
Kovacs is accused of "engaging in espionage in the interests of a foreign state," prosecutors said in a statement.
The charges, filed at a Budapest court, comprise "spying against EU institutions," as well as fiscal fraud and falsification of documents leading to substantial financial loss, it said.
Although the foreign state was not named, Kovacs, a frequent visitor to Moscow, has reportedly been suspected by prosecutors of regularly meeting covertly with Russian diplomats.
If convicted of spying, Kovacs, 57, could face a prison sentence of between two and eight years.
Kovacs has consistently denied the allegations, which emerged in a complaint made by Hungarian intelligence services prior to European Parliament elections in 2014.
In 2015, the European Parliament voted to lift the politician's parliamentary immunity, allowing the Hungarian probe to begin.
Since Prime Minister Viktor Orban's right-wing party Fidesz was re-elected for a second term in 2014, Jobbik has grown in support to become Hungary's second most popular party.
Wednesday's move comes around four months before the next parliamentary election in Hungary — expected in April next year — when Orban is tipped to win a third term. — AFP