AI Image
Nearly $20m found in Hungary’s forests, buildings amid corruption probe
Al Jazeera • • world
Key Points:
- Hungarian investigators uncovered $19.5 million in hidden cash, including money buried in forests, during a corruption probe linked to former minister Miklos Sesztak under ex-Prime Minister Viktor Orban's administration.
- The National Asset Recovery and Protection Office conducted searches in Budapest and other regions, finding various currencies stored in farm buildings, warehouses, homes, and safes, with the cash later deposited into the state treasury.
- Sesztak, Hungary’s development minister from 2014 to 2018, is suspected of accepting over $37 million in bribes related to overpriced bus purchases and government construction projects; he denies any wrongdoing following his detention in September.
- The current Prime Minister Peter Magyar, whose party ended Orban’s 16-year rule, described the cash recovery as a sign of dismantling the “Fidesz-KDNP mafia,” while Orban claims the investigations aim to push him out of politics.
- Public opinion shows strong support for anti-corruption efforts, with a recent poll indicating 70% of Hungarians prioritize investigating and holding accountable those involved in corruption during Orban’s tenure.
