November 17, 2010
jwire.com.au
No Compensation for Zentai

Charles Zentai, the 89-yr-old Perth man wanted by the Hungarian authorities over the assault and murder of a Jewish teenager in Budapest in 1944 will not claim compensation for wrongful imprisonment.

IZentai appeared yet again in Perth’s Federal Court over bail conditions and legal costs. The extradition decision against him was overturned in Federal Court on July 2 after Justice McKerracher took into consideration Zentai’s age, ill health and the sentence he may have to face in Hungary.

The legal team representing Zenta in court yesterday made submissions regarding Zentai’s bail status and legal costs.

No final decision has yet been made by the Federal Government as to whether they will challenge the overturning of the extradition order. Zentai was wanted by the Hungarian over the brutal death of 18-yr-old Peter Balazs in Budapest in 1944. The teenager was dragged from a tram and forcibly taken to an army barracks where he was beaten to death in front of other prisoners by three Hungarian soldiers. His body was dumped in the Danube.

Meanwhile, from Jerusalem the Simon Wiesenthal Institute director Dr Efraim Zuroff told J-Wire: “I very much hope that the Australian government will, on behalf of Hungary, appeal the outrageous decision to accept Zentai’s appeal against his extradition to Hungary so that he can finally be held accountable. Under these circumstances, there is no reason to change his bail conditions, since the matter will be finally clarified within three weeks.”

jwire.com.au