World
Hungarian Authorities Unearth $19.5 Million in Cash During Corruption Probe
Hungarian investigators uncovered $19.5 million in hidden cash, including bundles found in forests, during a corruption investigation involving a former minister from Viktor Orbán’s administration. The National Asset Recovery and Protection Office, established to probe alleged misuse of public funds, announced that searches were conducted on November 12 and 13 in Budapest and three other locations across Hungary. The agency located Hungarian forints, euros and U.S. dollars in farm buildings, warehouses, a private home, a high‑value safe in a secluded spot, and beneath the ground in forests. Footage released by the agency shows officers digging outdoors after dark and examining piles of cash, which was subsequently deposited with the state treasury. Finance Minister András Kármán posted on Facebook that twelve treasury employees spent eight hours counting the recovered money. The discovery comes amid an investigation into Miklós Seszták, Hungary’s development minister from 2014 to 2018, who is suspected of receiving more than $37.2 million in bribes and kickbacks linked to overpriced secondhand bus purchases by a state transport company and government construction projects. Seszták was detained in September and denies any wrongdoing. Prime Minister Péter Mágyar, whose centre‑right, pro‑European Tisza party ended Orbán’s 16‑year rule in April, said on Facebook that the recovery signalled the end of what he called the “Fidesz‑KDNP mafia.” Fidesz is Orbán’s right‑wing party, and KDNP, the Christian Democratic People’s Party, was its smaller governing ally. Orbán has previously accused the new government of using the investigations to force him out of politics. Other former ministers have been arrested in separate cases, as has György Mátolcsy, the former governor of Hungary’s central bank, which sets monetary policy. Mátolcsy’s case concerns alleged misuse of public assets held by a central bank foundation; he has denied wrongdoing. A survey published this week by Hungarian news website HVG, conducted by pollster Median, suggested that 70 percent of respondents considered investigating suspected corruption under Orbán and holding those responsible accountable very important.
Frequently asked questions
How much cash was recovered in the Hungarian corruption probe?
$19.5 million in hidden cash was uncovered.
Where were the cash bundles found during the investigation?
In farm buildings, warehouses, a private home, a high‑value safe in a secluded spot, and beneath the ground in forests across Hungary.