Hungary: Millions in hidden cash found in Orban graft probe

Hungarian authorities have recovered nearly $20 million (€17.7 million) in hidden cash during a corruption investigation into a former minister under ex-Prime Minister Viktor Orban.

The country's newly established National Asset Recovery and Protection Office said Friday that investigators discovered the money during searches linked to former National Development Minister Miklos Sesztak.

The discovery is part of a sweeping anti-corruption campaign launched by Prime Minister Peter Magyar, who defeated Orban in April's parliamentary election.

Where did Hungarian investigators find the hidden cash?

The money was discovered during two days of searches in the capital, Budapest, and three Hungarian counties.

Investigators found large quantities of cash buried in forests, concealed in agricultural buildings, warehouses and residential properties, as well as stored in an expensive safe at a secluded location.

The recovered money included 5.07 billion Hungarian forints (€13.3 million, $15.3 million), €2.66 million (€2.9 million) and $1.26 million (€1.08 million).

According to Finance Minister Andras Karman, 12 employees of the Hungarian State Treasury spent eight hours counting the banknotes using five counting machines.

The agency also released a video showing investigators kneeling beside large piles of bundled cash and digging into the ground in what appeared to be a forest at night.

Authorities said the seized money had been deposited into an account belonging to the Hungarian state treasury.

What corruption allegations does former minister Sesztak face?

Sesztak served as Orban's national development minister between 2014 and 2018.

He is suspected of accepting more than $37 million (€33 million) in bribes and kickbacks connected to the purchase of overpriced used buses by state-owned transport companies and state construction projects.

The former minister was taken into police custody in late September. He has denied wrongdoing.

His lawyer, Gabor Papp, so far did not respond to a request for comment on the latest discovery.

How has Hungary's Prime Minister Magyar reacted?

Magyar described the recovered cash as a turning point in his government's efforts to tackle alleged corruption under Orban.

The discovery "officially marks the end of the Fidesz-KDNP mafia," he wrote on Facebook, referring to Orban's former governing coalition.

"As of today, Viktor Orbán is a proven mafia boss. A fallen mafia boss. And Fidesz is a criminal organization," Magyar added.

Magyar's center-right, pro-European Tisza party won a landslide victory in April, ending Orban's 16-year rule.

The new prime minister has pledged to repair Hungary's relations with the European Union, which had been strained by years of disputes under Orban.

His government established the anti-corruption agency with investigative and prosecutorial powers to pursue suspected corruption and misuse of public funds.

Who else is being investigated in Hungary's corruption crackdown?

Magyar has dubbed the campaign "Operation Purgatory."

Several other senior figures from Orban's time in office have been detained as part of separate investigations.

Among them is former central bank governor and economy minister Gyorgy Matolcsy, once considered one of Orban's closest allies.

Matolcsy is being investigated over the alleged misuse of a central bank foundation that received 288 billion forints ($818 million, €787 million) in public assets. He and other former officials under investigation have denied wrongdoing.

Police also detained Orban's younger brother earlier this week as part of an investigation into suspected human trafficking and influence peddling.

Orban has condemned the investigations as political "tyranny" aimed at removing him from Hungary's political landscape. He has described his brother's detention as an act of political revenge.

According to a survey by pollster Median published by news website HVG this week, 70% of respondents considered the anti-corruption campaign "very important."

A separate Median survey showed support for Orban's Fidesz party had fallen to 16% of voters by November, roughly half its level before the April election.