Hungarian court detains former Orbán ministers in €50 million corruption probe

Parliamentary immunity lifted and detentions ordered

Hungarian law enforcement authorities detained two former cabinet ministers from Viktor Orbán's previous government following a vote in the National Assembly on Monday to strip their legal immunity. The parliamentary majority held by the Tisza party authorized prosecutors to initiate formal proceedings against former Culture and Innovation Minister Balázs Hankó and former National Development Minister Miklós Seszták. Police also took Veronika Varga-Bajusz, who served as state secretary in the Ministry of Culture and Innovation, into custody during the coordinated actions. Following the vote on Monday, Seszták reported directly to the prosecutor's office for interrogation regarding multiple state contracts. On Wednesday, a Hungarian court ordered a 30-day term of pre-trial detention for Seszták at the formal request of prosecutors and anti-corruption authorities.

It is the first time since 1990 that a former minister is detained. He is accused of an alleged bribery case related to 12,000 million forints.

Embezzlement allegations surrounding cultural grants

The criminal proceedings against Hankó center on the alleged distribution of public funds through the National Cultural Fund between 2025 and 2026. Investigators suspect that more than 17 billion forints, valued at approximately 50 million euros, was allocated for masked political financing and election campaigns ahead of the parliamentary ballot. The prosecution identified more than 1,000 separate subsidies granted to musicians, public figures, and organizations loyal to the former ruling party. Many recipient groups reportedly received public money without submitting required project proposals or meeting eligibility criteria. Hankó has rejected all charges of wrongdoing, claiming that the legal action represents political persecution orchestrated by the new government.

Bribery probe into public procurement and transport contracts

Seszták, a Christian Democratic People's Party lawmaker who served as National Development Minister from 2014 to 2018, faces an investigation into alleged public procurement fraud. Prosecutors state that Seszták accepted approximately 30 million euros (12.6 billion forints) in bribes alongside an unnamed accomplice in exchange for steering state contracts in the transport and construction sectors. A core element of the case involves the acquisition of 600 second-hand buses for the state-owned transport company Volánbusz at inflated prices. The procurement generated substantial financial losses for public transport operators while illicit kickbacks were directed to former government figures. Seszták has denied all allegations of corruption and bribery connected to his time in cabinet.

Anti-corruption offensive under Operation Tisztítótűz

The court orders and detentions represent the first high-level arrests since Péter Magyar assumed the premiership after winning the April parliamentary elections. Magyar initiated Operation Tisztítótűz in June to dismantle the governance structures established during 16 consecutive years of Fidesz administration under Orbán. To support the asset tracing effort, the administration established the National Asset Recovery and Protection Office to reclaim state funds lost through fraudulent procurement. Magyar stated that Fidesz leaders are seeking to shield themselves by attacking honest police officers, prosecutors, and financial investigators. Opposition figures from Fidesz and Mi Hazánk have countered that the government is orchestrating public spectacles to distract from policy challenges.

Operation Tisztítótűz has reached the highest level of Orbán's mafia. One of Orbán's ministers is already in pre-trial detention, and the other is detained. It will soon become clear which of the political and economic mafiosi will break the law of silence and begin to speak about the mafia boss.