Jan 22 2007
HUNGARIAN MAN SENTENCED TO 15 YEARS FOR MAFIA MURDER
Budapest - A Hungarian court Monday sentenced to 15 years imprisonment a man who ordered the murder of a prominent mafia figure.
Laszlo Wapper was found guilty of arranging for the death of Bulcsu Slavy, the ‘King of Balaton’, in 1997 and then concreting the body in a friend’s garage for seven years.
Slavy, who kept a string of bodyguards, earned his nickname for his reign over the criminal underworld around the popular tourist destination, Lake Balaton.
The dispute between the two arose after one of Wappler’s female friends formally accused Slavy of rape.
Wappler repeatedly demanded a substantial cash payment from Slavy, who was gradually losing his grip on the underworld, to forget the affair.
When no money was forthcoming, the court said, Wappler ordered his bodyguard to shoot Slavy.
Slavy’s body was only uncovered in 2004 when, under investigation by police, Wappler dug out the corpse with the intention of hiding it elsewhere.
Wappler has repeatedly denied ordering the death.
The man who carried out the shooting was sentenced to 12 years, while a third man was found guilty of luring Slavy to his death and sentenced to six years.
All sentences are subject to appeal.
By DPA, Jan 22, 2007, 12:55 GMT http://news.monstersandcritics.com/europe/news/printer_1249848.php
