Hungarian police arrest former Prime Minister Orbán's younger brother... “Illegal immigration arrangement”

Hungarian police arrested Orban Aron, the younger brother of former Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, on charges including arranging illegal immigration.

Hungarian Prime Minister Mazar Peter shared this media report on social media on the 9th (local time). It is reported that the news outlet Control, owned by Prime Minister Magir Marton's younger brother, first reported this news.

Police announced that they detained several people in two cities, including Budapest, and searched and seized their homes during the investigation into Orbán Aron's alleged role in arranging illegal immigration.

This investigation was jointly conducted by the National Investigation Bureau of the Hungarian Police and the National Asset Recovery Agency. The National Asset Recovery Agency is an anti-corruption agency established at the same time as the inauguration of the Majer administration and has enormous authority that encompasses the investigative powers of the police, prosecutors, and financial authorities.

Orbán Aron ran several businesses during former Prime Minister Orban's reign. Recently, Hungarian investigative media reported that one of Orban Aron's businesses is suspected of providing foreigners with preferential treatment in the process of issuing Hungarian work visas.

The Majer government, which succeeded in changing the government for the first time in 16 years in April this year, is promoting reforms in the name of eradicating corruption under the former Orbán government. Currently, three people who served as ministers in the Orbán government are under arrest and investigation.

There are also observations that the purge of the Magyar government's deep-rooted corruption is ultimately aimed at former Prime Minister Orbán. “The target is me and my brother is just a tool,” former Prime Minister Orbán wrote on social media.

During former Prime Minister Orbán's tenure, Hungary was criticized for a decline in judicial independence and the rule of law. During this period, Hungary fell to the bottom among European Union (EU) countries in Transparency International's annual Corruption Perceptions Index.