Nearly $20m found in Hungary’s forests, buildings amid corruption probe

The National Asset Recovery and Protection Office (NVVH) said on Friday that searches over two days uncovered 5,071,632,000 forints, €2,658,350 and $1,257,100, a combined value of $19.5 million, according to the BBC. The cash was found in safes, buried in woodlands and concealed in agricultural and residential buildings and warehouses across the country. It has been deposited into the Hungarian State Treasury.

The investigation focuses on Miklós Seszták, who served as minister of national development for four years during Orbán's 16-year tenure. Seszták is accused of accepting bribes in a scheme involving the state transport company and has denied any wrongdoing. He and another former minister, along with former central bank chief György Matolcsy, have been under arrest since September over separate graft allegations; all deny the charges.

Prime Minister Péter Magyar, who unseated Orbán in an April landslide on a promise of a sweeping anti-corruption drive, described the discovery as the end of the "mafia." Magyar's government established the NVVH to investigate corruption during Orbán's rule, dubbing the effort "Operation Purgatory." Since taking office, Magyar has moved to undo many Orbán-era policies.

Orbán dismissed the investigations as political revenge, saying: "In this dirty game, the aim is the elimination of the political opponent and the establishment of a one-party system." His government long faced accusations of directing lucrative projects to allies, which Orbán strongly denied. The EU previously characterised his rule as an "electoral autocracy."

On Monday, authorities also detained Orbán's brother and three others in a separate people-smuggling case, adding to the legal pressure on the former prime minister's circle.