Prosecutors and investigators from Hungary’s tax authority conducted a raid on Tuesday, 21 July, at offices that house data servers used by the Fidesz party, led by former Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. This action is part of a broader investigation into allegations of embezzlement and related offences, as confirmed by a spokesperson for the prosecutor’s office in a communication with The Associated Press.
The Fidesz party has accused the governing Tisza party, led by pro-European Prime Minister Péter Magyar, of using legal avenues to undermine Fidesz’s operations. Marianna Bodó, spokesperson for the Bács-Kiskun County chief prosecutor’s office, said the raid concerns the suspected misuse of grant funds from Hungary’s National Cultural Fund during Orbán’s administration. Bács-Kiskun County is situated to the south of Budapest, the capital.
Six current and former officials have been charged with the alleged misappropriation of approximately 17 billion forints (around €47 million) from the fund. These individuals have denied any involvement in wrongdoing and face accusations of distributing funds in a non-transparent manner to artists and performers associated with Fidesz, some of whom participated in the party’s campaign in the lead-up to the national election in April.
A regional criminal directorate of the National Tax and Customs Administration assisted in the raid. Bodó noted that additional details regarding the investigation could not be disclosed in the interest of preserving its integrity.
In response to the raid, Fidesz issued a Facebook statement expressing concern that investigators carried out the operation “without prior notice” with the intention of seizing the party’s entire communications system and databases. They highlighted that such actions have not been witnessed in Hungary since the fall of Communism in 1990.
Orbán and the Fidesz party governed Hungary for 16 years until their significant electoral defeat in April. Throughout their tenure, they were frequently accused of facilitating unchecked corruption and undermining democracy and the rule of law.
Since assuming office in May, Prime Minister Magyar has initiated efforts to dismantle what he has termed Orbán’s “mafia“ structure by removing numerous political appointees, including the president and heads of institutions perceived as complicit in Orbán’s autocratic governance.
In the wake of their electoral loss, Fidesz has characterised the actions of Magyar and Tisza as “tyranny” in their efforts to dismantle Orbán’s political and economic framework. Tisza contends that it is exercising its electoral mandate to deliver on campaign promises. Magyar has stated on Facebook that he is awaiting further clarification from the prosecutorial offices regarding the raid.
This article used information from The Associated Press.
