Former Hungarian Smallholders' Party deputy Zoltan Szekely has been sentenced to six years in prison and banned from public office for 10 years after being found guilty of two counts of bribery, Hungarian radio reported on 27 May. Hungarian media reported that Szekely was caught accepting a bribe in October 2000.

This is the first time since the collapse of communism in Hungary that a person has been convicted for corruption for actions committed while serving as a National Assembly deputy.

(RFE/RL 30.v.02)