The National Asset Recovery and Protection Office recovered the illicit funds from buried forest caches, safes, agricultural buildings, and warehouses. Seszták stands accused of accepting bribes linked to inflated secondhand bus acquisitions by a state-run transport firm, though his legal counsel insists the seized money is not his. The recovered assets, comprising billions in Hungarian forints alongside millions in euros and U.S. dollars, were promptly deposited into the state treasury. Meanwhile, political allies have urged the embattled lawmaker to relinquish his parliamentary seat while fighting the charges.
Key points
Current Prime Minister Peter Magyar has expanded anti-corruption inquiries targeting figu…: Current Prime Minister Peter Magyar has expanded anti-corruption inquiries targeting figures from Viktor Orbán's former administration.
Allies within the Christian Democrats have called for Seszták to resign his parliamentary…: Allies within the Christian Democrats have called for Seszták to resign his parliamentary mandate to address the allegations.
Multiple individuals tied to Orbán, including his brother and two other former ministers,…: Multiple individuals tied to Orbán, including his brother and two other former ministers, have been taken into custody.
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Viktor Orban ruled Hungary as the Prime Minister for 16 years from 2010 to 2026 and was characterised by systemic corruption and crony capitalism. Evidence of the same has been appearing even after his term ended, with a long-awaited celebration in April this year. On Friday, Hungary's anti-corruption agency announced that it had seized cash worth $19.5M buried in forests and hidden elsewhere while investigating an ex-minister from Orbán's cabinet, as per a report by The Guardian.
Miklós Seszták, Hungary’s minister of national development between 2014 and 2018, is accused of taking bribes in a scheme involving the state transport company, purchasing secondhand buses at inflated prices. Seszták, two other Orbán-era ministers and the former premier’s brother have been taken into custody in different cases as graft inquiries have gathered pace in recent weeks.
The National Asset Recovery and Protection Office (NVVH), an anti-graft body with sweeping powers established as part of present Prime Minister Peter Magyar’s accountability drive, said it searched the capital of Budapest and three Hungarian counties on Thursday and Friday as part of the criminal proceedings…
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