Nearly €20m in cash found buried, hidden in Hungary corruption case

Hungarian authorities have recovered nearly €20 million in cash buried in forests, hidden in warehouses and residential properties and stored in a high-value safe as part of a bribery investigation into a former minister. The money was found during searches on Thursday and Friday as part of a criminal investigation into former minister Miklós Seszták, who worked under former Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, relating to bribery allegations.

​Seszták, who is under pre-trial detention has denied wrongdoing. Hungarian Prime Minister Peter ‌Magyar launched a wide anti-corruption campaign after ousting Orbán earlier this year.

The money — more than 5 billion forints, €2.6 million and €1.2 million — was found across locations in Budapest, Pest, Békés and Nógrád counties, the National Asset Recovery and Protection Office, an anti-corruption body, said in a statement . “This officially marks the end for the Fidesz-KDNP mafia!” Magyar posted on Facebook , originally in Hungarian, in reference to Orbán’s government.