The National Asset Recovery and Protection Office uncovered Hungarian forints, euros, and US dollars hidden across warehouses, rural buildings, and buried forest sites in four regions. Authorities tied the concealed wealth to Miklos Sesztak, who is accused of taking over $37.2m in bribes linked to state transport bus purchases and public construction deals. Sesztak denies the charges, which were brought after Prime Minister Peter Magyar's Tisza party ended Viktor Orban's 16-year tenure earlier this year. The expanding dragnet has also ensnared several other former ministers alongside the nation's former central bank governor.
Key points
The newly elected administration under Prime Minister Peter Magyar is actively pursuing c…: The newly elected administration under Prime Minister Peter Magyar is actively pursuing corruption cases tied to Viktor Orban's tenure.
Viktor Orban has alleged that the ongoing wave of high-profile corruption inquiries is de…: Viktor Orban has alleged that the ongoing wave of high-profile corruption inquiries is designed to push him out of national politics.
Multiple prominent figures from the previous governing era, including former central bank…: Multiple prominent figures from the previous governing era, including former central bank governor Gyorgy Matolcsy, have faced arrest in separate cases.
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An ex-minister faces a bribery probe as Hungary’s new government investigates alleged corruption during former Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s rule.
Hungarian investigators have found $19.5m in hidden cash, including bundles dug out in forests, during a corruption probe involving a former minister under ex-Prime Minister Viktor Orban.
The National Asset Recovery and Protection Office, a new agency set up to investigate suspected misuse of public money, said in a statement late on Friday that searches took place on November 12 and 13 in Budapest and three other parts of Hungary.
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Its investigators found Hungarian forints, euros and US dollars in farm buildings, warehouses, a home and “a high-value safe in a secluded location”, as well as beneath the ground in forests. The agency released footage showing officers digging outdoors after dark and examining piles of cash, which was later deposited with the state treasury.
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