Hungarian authorities recovered about $19.5 million in hidden cash during a two-day search of forests, agricultural buildings, and homes in Budapest and three counties.
The search on Thursday and Friday targeted locations connected to Miklós Seszták. He served as national development minister between 2014 and 2018.
Investigators executed the raids through the National Asset Recovery and Protection Office (NVVH). This anti-graft agency was established by the new government to investigate misuse of public funds during Orbán’s 16 years in power.
The agency said personnel uncovered funds in woodlands and agricultural or warehouse structures. They also found money in homes and inside secure high-value safes in remote spots.
“During the search, investigators found large amounts of cash: buried in forests, hidden in agricultural and warehouse buildings as well as residential properties, and stored in a high-value safe in a hidden location.”
National Asset Recovery and Protection Office, NVVH
The searches took place across Budapest and Pest, Békés, and Nógrád counties, according to the Hungarian Conservative. Agency footage on Facebook showed officers digging in a forest after dark.
Authorities deposited the total haul into the Hungarian State Treasury’s account on Friday evening. Finance Minister András Kármán detailed the counting process on social media.
“Upon receipt, 12 Treasury employees spent 8 hours counting the money using 5 counting machines.”
András Kármán, Finance Minister
The recovery included multiple currencies with an equivalent value of nearly HUF 6.5 billion. The NVVH said the breakdown included HUF 5,071,632,000, €2,658,350, and US $1,257,100.
Seszták has been detained since September. Prosecutors suspect he and former state asset manager Norbert Szivek obtained more than HUF 11 billion, or $33.2 million, in unlawful benefits involving bribery and kickbacks from state construction projects and contracts linked to state bus operator Volánbusz. Seszták denies any wrongdoing.
Police custody also holds several other people from the Orbán administration, including the former central bank chief facing allegations of corrupt practices and fraudulent acts.
The Central Investigative Prosecutor’s Office said the detention of former bank governor György Matolcsy relates to the alleged misuse of a central bank foundation. The foundation was endowed with 288 billion forints, or $817.8 million, in public assets.
Prime Minister Péter Magyar celebrated the seizure as a historical break. His center-right, pro-European Tisza party won a landslide election victory in April to end Orbán’s 16 years in power.
“This officially marks the end of the Fidesz-KDNP mafia!”
Péter Magyar, Prime Minister
Magyar said on Facebook that Viktor Orbán is a proven mafia boss. A fallen mafia boss. And Fidesz is a criminal organization.
Fidesz released a statement on Friday night. The party said all elected representatives swear to uphold the law and that Fidesz–KDNP cannot associate with anyone who violates that oath. But the party expressed hope that the cash in the NVVH photographs had nothing to do with Seszták.
