Orban personally ordered seizure of Ukrainian cash couriers in Hungary – media
Former Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban personally ordered the seizure of vehicles and cash-in-transit staff of Ukraine’s Oschadbank in March, according to reports.
As Ukrinform reports, Bloomberg, citing Hungarian outlet Telex, published the information.
Telex, citing several people familiar with the situation, reported that Orban – then in the midst of a failing anti-Ukrainian election campaign – personally ordered the seizure of two Oschadbank vans transporting around $80 million in cash and 9 kilograms of gold. The vehicles were reportedly traveling from Austria through Hungary to Ukraine. According to the publication, the Prime Minister’s office, which oversaw the intelligence services, was behind the operation.
Orban’s spokesperson Bertalan Havasi said in a comment that members of the former government had always upheld the law, and that authorities acted legally in the seizure.
Current Prime Minister Péter Magyar has already reacted to the media reports, saying that Orban should be held accountable for how he managed the intelligence services.
“Viktor Orbán personally exercised direct control over law enforcement and intelligence agencies. He could decide whether raids would take place or investigations would be delayed,” Magyar wrote on X on Wednesday.
Magyar, whose Tisza party won an absolute majority in parliament, has pledged to dismantle Orban’s authoritarian and corrupt 16-year system. He has already set up parliamentary investigative committee to shine a light on the workings of Orban’s self-styled illiberal system. Plans also include removing political loyalists like the country’s president, chief prosecutor and top justices, declassifying contracts and creating an agency to recoup plundered state assets. Magyar has promised to hold those responsible accountable.
According to lawyer Lorant Horvath, who represented the Ukrainian side, Hungarian authorities are currently investigating the seizure of the Oschadbank vehicles, including the unlawful detention of seven Ukrainians. After the Hungarian election, prosecutors had quickly moved to drop all charges, return seized assets and release the suspects
As previously reported, Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said on the night of March 6 that Hungarian authorities in Budapest had taken seven Ukrainian citizens – Oschadbank employees – “hostage” and confiscated the money they were transporting. According to him, the seven employees were traveling in two bank vehicles in transit between Austria and Ukraine, carrying cash as part of routine interbank servicing.
Later that day, Hungary’s tax authority confirmed the detention of seven Oschadbank couriers and two vehicles carrying cash, saying it had launched a criminal investigation on suspicion of money laundering.
The Ukrainian couriers were later expelled from Hungary.