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Hungary anti‑corruption agency seizes $19.5 million hidden in forests

Hungary’s anti‑corruption agency said on Friday it had seized cash worth $19.5 million (£14.8 million) that had been buried in forests and hidden elsewhere.

Image accompanying the story: Hungary anti‑corruption agency seizes $19.5 million hidden in forests
Image: Photograph: Dénes Erdős/AP · via The Guardian

Hungary’s anti‑corruption agency said on Friday it had seized cash worth $19.5 million (£14.8 million) that had been buried in forests and hidden elsewhere. The money was uncovered during an investigation into former minister Miklós Seszták, who served as minister of national development from 2014 to 2018. The agency alleges that Seszták took bribes in a scheme involving the state transport company, where second‑hand buses were bought at inflated prices. The probe is part of a broader graft inquiry into officials from the cabinet of nationalist former leader Viktor Orbán. The Guardian reported that the cash was found as part of the anti‑corruption searches linked to the case.

Why it matters

The seizure illustrates the scale of alleged corruption linked to a senior Orbán‑era minister and shows the anti‑corruption agency’s active role in pursuing the case.

Key details

Location
Hungary · Europe
Reported by
The Guardian
First reported
Key names
Orbán-era, Viktor Orbán, Miklós Seszták
Section
World
Figure cited
Miklós Seszták, Hungary’s minister of national development between 2014 and 2018, is accused of taking bribes in a scheme involving the state transport company, purchasing secondhand buses at inflated prices. (The Guardian)

Sources

This is an independent summary. Read the full, original reporting from the publisher:

Read the full story at The Guardian

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