Hungarian authorities seize over 420 million crowns in cash in probe of former Orbán minister

In brief

• Hungarian investigators seized cash in several currencies in a corruption probe linked to former minister Miklós Seszták.
• The seized money totals 5,071,632,000 forints, 2,658,350 euros and 1,257,100 US dollars, and was found buried in forests and stashed in buildings.
• Seszták, detained in September, is suspected of accepting bribes tied to the state bus operator Volánbusz and denies the charges.

Cash hidden in forests and warehouses

Hungary's National Asset Recovery and Protection Office (NVVH) carried out a two-day operation in Budapest and in Pest, Békés and Nógrád counties on Thursday and Friday. Investigators found large amounts of money buried in forests and stashed in farm buildings, storage sites, residential property and a concealed safe. The agency said the cash totalled 5,071,632,000 forints, 2,658,350 euros and 1,257,100 US dollars. Reports put the value at more than six billion forints, roughly 15 million euros. The office published video of the discovery and said the money had been transferred to the Hungarian state treasury. (Peniaze ukryté v skladoch, trezore i zakopané v lese: Vyšetrovatelia zaistili hotovosť v kauze Orbánovho exministra – STVR) (V kauze Orbánovho exministra zaistili ukrytých šesť miliárd forintov – HNonline.sk)

Allegations against a former minister

Miklós Seszták served as national development minister from 2014 to 2018 and sits in parliament for the governing Christian Democratic People's Party (KDNP). Parliament lifted his immunity, and he was detained at the end of September. Prosecutors suspect him of accepting bribes linked to Volánbusz, the state-owned bus operator. According to investigators, he obtained undue benefits worth more than 11 billion forints between 2015 and 2018 through intermediaries. Seszták denies the allegations. (Orbánův exministr čelí vyšetřování, úřady zabavily 420 milionů korun – Aktuálně.cz)

Wider case

The investigation comes as two other former ministers in Orbán's government and ex-central bank governor György Matolcsy are also in pre-trial detention on suspicion of corruption. All of them deny wrongdoing. Orbán's Fidesz party, which has dominated Hungarian politics for more than a decade, has rejected corruption accusations against its officials. (Fidesz má vraj dosť ľudí na tri vlády. Orbán zároveň odmieta korupčné obvinenia – Pravda.sk)

Cash seized, by currency

• Forints: 5,071,632,000
• Euros: 2,658,350
• US dollars: 1,257,100