The municipality of Újpest-Káposztámegyer, led by the current mayor, received a fine of four million after abusing the data of pensioners.
According to the local Fidesz, since the gift vouchers were received as aid, they were paid tax-free to the pensioners. This was the "smartness", the "modern social policy". At the same time, the pensioners did not know that they would receive the vouchers as aid, and that after receiving the vouchers, their personal data would be entered into the registration system of social welfare recipients, where they would henceforth be registered as needy.
Zsolt Wintermantel , the former mayor of Újpest-Káposzta county, said that the government office repeatedly drew attention to the mistakes and how to correct them, but Tibor Déri (Momentum) and the district's left-wing leaders did not accept the proposals.
"The price of the sleazeball was a fine of four million. There is money here, please - concluded the former government party district leader.
The data protection law was violated in seven points, the personal data of 21,184 pensioners from Újpest were handled without authorization. The Hungarian State Treasury ordered the mayor's office to delete the illegally obtained and unauthorized data. They did not do this either, and the consequence was a fine of four million forints.
Fidesz announced that the municipality obtained their personal data illegally and is still handling it without authorization. Also those who would consider it humiliating to know that they received help without asking for it. Since the voucher was received as aid, it was paid tax-free to the pensioners, even though personal income tax should have been paid on it. Since the social security tax was not deducted from the amount of the vouchers, 18,491 pensioners had a tax deficit of ten million euros, which could also include interest on late payments and default fines.
The full article can be read here.
(Cover image: Újpest mayor Tibor Déri, Source: YouTube)
