Nearly €20m in cash found buried, hidden in Hungary corruption case

Hungarian authorities have recovered nearly €20 million in cash buried in forests, hidden in warehouses and residential properties and stored in a high-value safe as part of a bribery investigation into a former minister.

The money was found during searches on Thursday and Friday as part of a criminal investigation into former minister Miklós Seszták, who worked under former Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, relating to bribery allegations. Seszták, who is under pre-trial detention has denied wrongdoing.

Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Magyar launched a wide anti-corruption campaign after ousting Orbán earlier this year.

The money — more than 5 billion forints, €2.6 million and €1.2 million — was found across locations in Budapest, Pest, Békés and Nógrád counties, the National Asset Recovery and Protection Office, an anti-corruption body, said in a statement.

“This officially marks the end for the Fidesz-KDNP mafia!” Magyar posted on Facebook, originally in Hungarian, in reference to Orbán’s government.

It took 12 Treasury staff eight hours to tally the cash using 5 counting machines, Finance Minister Kármán András said.

The announcement comes after Hungarian authorities detained Aron Orbán, the former prime minister’s brother, as part of an investigation into people smuggling. The former prime minister said on social media that the move, announced by Magyar on Monday, was part of a “political witch-hunt” to get him.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk reacted wryly to the latest announcement, referring to the arrest of Orbán’s brother and the cash discovery on X.

“Dear Victor, I’ve always been an admirer of your creativity, but now I must say I’m impressed as never before,” he wrote.