Hungary seizes $19.5 million in cash in graft inquiry

Hungary's National Asset Recovery and Protection Office seized $19.5 million in cash, found buried in forests and hidden in buildings and safes, in criminal proceedings against former development minister Miklós Seszták.

Why it matters: The seizure is the largest reported haul yet in Prime Minister Péter Magyar's graft drive against figures from Viktor Orbán's 16 years in power, and it lands as several Orbán-era ministers face custody in parallel cases.

Data as of AFP report carried by The Guardian on November 13, 2026 and read in full via the estate browser route, with Bloomberg's same-day report of the same seizure as corroboration; the currency breakdown and hiding places are the asset recovery office's figures as quoted by AFP. Developing item.

Hungary’s National Asset Recovery and Protection Office said on Friday that investigators had seized $19.5 million in cash, 5,071,632,000 forints, €2,658,350 and US $1,257,100, found buried in forests, hidden in agricultural and warehouse buildings and homes, and stored in high-value safes in secluded locations. The searches on Thursday and Friday were part of criminal proceedings against Miklós Seszták, national development minister from 2014 to 2018 under Viktor Orbán, who is accused of taking bribes in a scheme that bought secondhand buses for the state transport company at inflated prices, and the cash was deposited into the Hungarian State Treasury’s account.

Prime Minister Péter Magyar, who won April’s election ending Orbán’s 16 years in power on a promise to investigate corruption under his rival, hailed the seizure as a potential turning point. Seszták, two other Orbán-era ministers and the former premier’s brother have been taken into custody in different cases in recent weeks; Orbán has previously called the probes political persecution.

Hungary seizes $19.5 million in cash in graft inquiry

Sources