Former Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán could become a suspect in a criminal case for the first time over the detention of employees of Ukraine’s state-owned Oschadbank, who were transporting nearly €70 million in cash and gold. The investigation is nearing completion, the Financial Times reports, writes UNN.
Details
The incident occurred in March, when Hungarian counter-terrorism police stopped two armored Oschadbank vehicles near Budapest that were transporting funds from Vienna to Kyiv. Seven Ukrainians were detained and the cargo was confiscated.
At the time, Orbán’s team presented the operation as possible evidence of secret Ukrainian funding for the Hungarian opposition. However, the case against the Ukrainians was later closed for lack of evidence, and the money and gold were returned to Ukraine.
The investigation is examining Orbán’s possible role
Former prosecutor Pál Fürcht said that Orbán personally ordered the security services to detain the Ukrainian cash-in-transit employees. According to the FT, his statement is corroborated by a prosecutorial report in which János Hajdu, then head of the counter-terrorism center, referred to a decision by “a person who could not be drawn into the case.” The document states that this referred to Orbán.
Hajdu has already been charged with unlawful detention and cruel treatment of the Ukrainian bank employees. He denies any wrongdoing. Orbán himself has not publicly acknowledged involvement, while a representative of his Fidesz party denied that the former prime minister had ordered the detention of the Ukrainians.
According to the Ukrainians’ lawyer, Loránt Horváth, this is the first investigation that could lead to the official filing of charges directly against Orbán, as the case is already nearing completion.