Hungarian authorities have seized cash worth nearly $20 million during searches connected to a corruption investigation involving former National Development Minister Miklós Seszták. The money was found in Budapest and three counties on November 12 and 13, according to reports on the operation.
The newly established National Asset Recovery and Protection Office said investigators found banknotes hidden in forests, agricultural buildings, warehouses and residential properties. Some cash was also stored in a safe at a secluded location. The precise amounts reported were 5.07 billion forints, €2.66 million and $1.26 million.
The seizure was announced as part of an investigation into Seszták, who served under former Prime Minister Viktor Orbán from 2014 to 2018. He is suspected of receiving more than $37 million in bribes and kickbacks linked to state transport companies’ purchases of overpriced used buses and to public construction projects. Seszták has denied wrongdoing and was taken into police custody in September.
The authorities have not said that the recovered cash belonged to Seszták. It was deposited into an account belonging to the Hungarian State Treasury, according to the Deutsche Welle report. The Associated Press also reported the seizure and the amounts recovered.
Government’s anti-corruption campaign
Prime Minister Peter Magyar described the recovery as a turning point in his government’s campaign against alleged corruption during Orbán’s time in office. Magyar’s Tisza party won April’s parliamentary election, ending Orbán’s 16-year rule.
The government created the asset recovery office with investigative and prosecutorial powers. Its operation is part of a broader crackdown that has also included separate investigations involving former senior officials. Those investigations, like the case against Seszták, concern allegations that remain unproven.