Hungary Recovers 20 Million Dollars Hidden in Forests in Corruption Probe

Hungarian authorities have recovered nearly 20 million dollars in cash, with portions buried in forests, hidden in agricultural buildings, and stored in warehouses, as part of a high-profile bribery investigation targeting Miklos Sesztak, a former minister in the government of former right-wing Prime Minister Viktor Orban, according to Reuters reports.

Prime Minister Peter Magyar unseated Orban in elections held in April following 16 years in power, pledging to repair strained relations with the European Union and launch a sweeping anti-corruption campaign. Two former ministers from Orban's government and former central bank governor Gyorgy Matolcsy have been arrested on corruption suspicions in separate investigations. All three have denied any wrongdoing. Authorities also detained Orban's brother in a human-smuggling case, which the former prime minister dismissed as a political vendetta. These measures form part of an anti-corruption sweep led by Magyar, a center-right figure, dubbed "Operation Purgatory". A poll by the Median institute published this week on the HVG news site showed that 70 percent of respondents consider the operation very important.

"During the searches, investigators found large amounts of cash buried in forests, hidden in agricultural buildings, warehouses, and a residential home, and stored in an expensive safe in a remote location," the National Asset Recovery and Protection Office stated in a late Friday release. The seized funds included 5.07 billion Hungarian forints, equivalent to 15.33 million dollars, 2.66 million euros, totaling 2.93 million dollars, and an additional 1.26 million dollars. According to Finance Minister Andras Karman, 12 ministry employees spent eight hours counting the cash using five banknote counting machines.

Sesztak, who served as development minister in Orban's government between 2014 and 2018, has denied wrongdoing, while his lawyer, Gabor Papp, did not respond to email requests for comment regarding the asset recovery office statement. Magyar stated that the cash discovery marks the end of what he described as a mafia led by Orban's right-wing Fidesz party and its Christian Democratic allies during 16 years of rule. Political analyst Gabor Torok noted that images of large cash piles are so tangible they are likely to seal the fate of the Fidesz party. According to a Median poll, public support for the party has plummeted to half its pre-election level, reaching just 16 percent of voters in November.