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Nearly $20 Million in Cash Found Buried in Forests and Hidden in Farm Buildings in Hungary Corruption Probe
By Maya Wilson
Photo: Godot13 / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Nearly $20 million in cash was found hidden in farm buildings and buried in forests in Hungary, according to Hungarian authorities, in an investigation that has placed a former minister at the centre of a corruption inquiry.
Al Jazeera put the figure at $19.5 million. The BBC rounded the amount to $20 million, or £14.8 million. Both figures refer to the same cash discovered by investigators, with the difference reflecting the way the amount was reported.
The money was found in an investigation into Miklós Seszták, who served as minister of national development for four years under former Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. Seszták is accused of accepting bribes in a scheme involving the state transport company. He denies any wrongdoing.
Investigators searched more than 70 locations, with cash hidden in forests, buildings and other concealments, according to Al Jazeera. The scale of the searches and the variety of hiding places underline the extent of the operation.
The investigation has drawn attention because of the seniority of the figure at its centre and the political context in which it is taking place. Seszták served in Orbán’s government, and the case has become part of a broader debate about corruption in Hungary.
Prime Minister Péter Magyar unseated Orbán in a landslide election in April on a promise of a sweeping anti-corruption drive, according to the BBC. The investigation into Seszták is taking place against that background.
Seszták and former central bank chief György Matolcsy have been under arrest since September over graft accusations in separate investigations, the BBC reported. Both men deny wrongdoing.
The two cases are separate, but their arrests have been reported together as part of the wider anti-corruption drive. The BBC’s account places both men in custody since September, while emphasising that the accusations against them arise from different investigations.
Orbán dismissed the probe as political revenge, saying its aim is “the elimination of the political opponent and the establishment of a one-party system.” That is his characterisation of the investigation, and it is attributed to him.
The comment reflects the political dispute surrounding the case. Orbán, who was unseated by Magyar in April, has presented the investigation as politically motivated, while the authorities have presented it as part of a corruption inquiry.
The accusations against Seszták remain accusations, not findings. He denies any wrongdoing, and the investigation is continuing. The same applies to Matolcsy, who also denies the graft accusations against him.
The cash discovery remains the most striking element of the case. Nearly $20 million, or $19.5 million depending on the source, was found in locations that included forests and farm buildings, according to the authorities and the reporting of Al Jazeera and the BBC.
The investigation continues, with the searches of more than 70 locations forming part of the evidence-gathering process. The outcome of the case will depend on the findings of that investigation and any subsequent legal proceedings.
Maya Wilson
World Desk Lead, The Library Media
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