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

Hungarian investigators have recovered $19.5 million in hidden cash, including funds buried in forests and stored in farm buildings, as part of a corruption probe targeting the administration of former Prime Minister Viktor Orban. The discovery follows an investigation into Miklos Sesztak, the development minister from 2014 to 2018, who is suspected of accepting over $37.2 million in bribes related to state construction projects and overpriced bus purchases.

Prime Minister Peter Magyar, whose Tisza party recently ended Orban’s 16-year tenure, described the recovery as a blow to the previous government's alleged criminal networks. Other officials, including former central bank governor Gyorgy Matolcsy, have also faced arrest in related cases.

A recent poll by Median indicates that 70 percent of Hungarians prioritize holding officials accountable for corruption during the Orban era.