Hungary PM sacks police chiefs to restore confidence

BUDAPEST, May 19 (Reuters) Hungarian Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsany sacked the national and Budapest police chiefs tOday after a series of crimes by policemen in recent weeks.

He announced the dismissals at a meeting where he called for his Socialist party to back the government's painful reforms aimed at cutting the budget deficit.

''So as to restore public confidence (in the police) the national and the Budapest police captains must leave,'' Gyurcsany said. ''If we do nothing, people will in the end be afraid of all patrols.'' He was referring to a case in which a Budapest court ruled today that five policemen be detained while allegations by a young woman of rape by police were investigated.

This is the first step under Hungarian law to formal charges and the case has been widely reported in Hungarian media. The woman alleged she was raped after being stopped for a traffic violation in central Budapest.

Earlier this month, a police officer was charged after stealing 2,500 dollars from a bank in Budapest during a robbery in which armed police killed the robber.

At least 40 policemen has been charged with or sentenced for crimes this year, mainly in corruption cases or for violence, Hungarian national news agency MTI said.

The main opposition party Fidesz said the crimes were a direct consequence of unpunished police violence during anti-government demonstrations and riots late last year and said the justice and police minister should be sacked.

Hundreds of people were injured in the riots triggered by Gyurcsany's admission on a leaked tape that he had lied to voters about the parlous state of the economy before elections held one year ago.

Gyurcsany told the party meeting the Fidesz criticism of police conduct was politically motivated.

''I can protect police against the opposition's self-centred attacks, but I cannot protect them against themselves,'' he said.

REUTERS AGL KP1758