Hungary’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has submitted a criminal complaint to prosecutors over potential fraud related to the previous government’s acquisition of ventilators valued at approximately $965 million during the COVID-19 pandemic, as stated by Foreign Minister Anita Orbán on Tuesday.
The prior government of former Prime Minister Viktor Orbán procured around 17,000 ventilators from China in March and April 2020. This decision drew criticism at the time, as it was perceived that the quantity purchased far exceeded what could be feasibly utilised, and that the cost per unit was significantly higher than in other European nations.
In a video presentation shared on Facebook, Foreign Minister Orbán, who is not related to the former prime minister, indicated that the findings of the ministry’s investigation into the procurement raise concerns about a breach of fiduciary duty resulting in substantial financial loss, as well as other possible criminal offences.
While specific allegations were not disclosed, she noted that the investigation encompassed tens of thousands of documents, some of which had to be retrieved electronically after unsuccessful attempts to delete them. This investigation also raised additional questions regarding the accountability of the ministry’s former senior leadership.
A statement released on the Hungarian government’s website on Tuesday mentioned other suspected irregularities related to the ventilator purchase. These include the fact that a majority of the units were procured through intermediary companies, which experienced significant revenue increases as a result of the transaction. Moreover, some ventilators were found defective, and a considerable proportion were never utilised, resulting in storage costs for the unused devices amounting to millions of dollars.
Péter Szijjártó, Hungary’s former foreign minister, established close relations with China during his nearly 12 years in office. He oversaw not only the ventilator purchases but also the acquisition of 5 million doses of the China-produced Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine.
Recently, Szijjártó resigned from his parliamentary position to accept an executive role with the Chinese automaker BYD, prompting allegations of a conflict of interest given his role in facilitating significant government subsidies for the company while in office. Consequently, Hungary’s government has initiated an investigation into the substantial investments BYD has made in Hungary during Szijjártó’s office.
This article used information from The Associated Press.
