In a decisive move by Hungary’s anti‑corruption agency, more than $19 million in cash was recovered from a variety of hidden locations, including forests, warehouses and private homes. The seizure is part of a broader inquiry into alleged bribery by former Minister of National Development Miklós Seszták, who served under former Prime Minister Viktor Orbán from 2014 to 2018.
According to the National Asset Recovery and Protection Office (NVVH), investigators uncovered 5,071,632,000 forints, €2,658,350 and US $1,257,100 during searches conducted over two days. The total value of the recovered money amounts to $19.5 million. The cash was immediately deposited into the Hungarian State Treasury, where finance minister András Kármán confirmed that 12 Treasury staff counted the funds in eight hours using five counting machines.
Seszták is accused of accepting bribes in a scheme that involved the state transport company, with allegations that he purchased secondhand buses at inflated prices. The investigation has also led to the arrest of two other ministers from the Orbán era and the former prime minister’s brother.
Prime Minister Péter Magyar, who won a landslide victory in April and pledged to tackle corruption, hailed the seizure as a turning point. “This officially marks the end of the Fidesz‑KDNP mafia!” he said, referring to the former governing coalition.
Former leader Viktor Orbán has not commented on the latest development. He has previously dismissed probes into his inner circle as “political persecution” aimed at undermining his authority.
Source: The Guardian World
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