Politics taz
Hungarian ex-minister: burying tons of cash in the forest
During investigations against Miklos Sesztak, 17.6 million euros were seized. The former member of the Orbán government had hidden it well. more...
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ap | Cash worth around 17.6 million euros was discovered during investigations against a former minister under former Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. As the anti-corruption agency announced on Friday, some of the money was buried underground. Large amounts of cash in various currencies were buried in forests, hidden in agricultural buildings, warehouses and a residential building, and stored in a high-quality safe in a hidden location, a statement said.
According to the information, the seizures are in connection with a criminal case against the former Minister for National Development, Seszták Miklós. He is suspected of having accepted around 34 million euros in bribes and kickbacks. He was taken into custody at the end of September.
The new anti-corruption agency NVVH has investigative and prosecution powers to investigate suspected corruption and misuse of public funds. Orbán's critics accuse his government of such practices being widespread during his time in office.
Prime Minister Péter Magyar, who wants to investigate the alleged corruption during Orbán's time in government and recover misused public funds, said on Friday evening that twelve employees of the Hungarian treasury took eight hours to count the seized money using five money counting machines.
The find “officially marks the end of the Fidesz-KDNP mafia,” explained Magyar, referring to Orbán’s former government coalition. He wrote on Facebook: "As of today, Viktor Orbán is a proven mafia boss. A deposed mafia boss. And Fidesz is a criminal organization."
It was only on Monday that the police took Orbán's younger brother into custody as part of an investigation into suspected human trafficking and influence peddling. Several other former officials from Orbán's government are also in police custody on suspicion of fraud and corruption, including former central bank chief György Matolcsy.
The responsible public prosecutor's office announced in October that Matolcsy's imprisonment was related to the alleged misuse of a central bank foundation.
Magyar's pro-European Tisza party won a landslide victory against Orban's right-wing Fidesz in April's election. Orban condemns the investigations and arrests as political “tyranny” intended to force him off the political stage.