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Hungarian authorities seized approximately $19.5 million in cash buried in forests, concealed in buildings and stored in safes during a corruption investigation involving a former minister in Viktor Orban's government, the country's anti-corruption agency announced Friday.
The National Asset Recovery and Protection Office (NVVH) said investigators discovered the money during searches Thursday and Friday as part of criminal proceedings against Miklos Sesztak, who served as Hungary's national development minister from 2014 to 2018.
Sesztak is accused of accepting bribes in a scheme involving the state transport company and the purchase of secondhand buses at inflated prices. He has denied wrongdoing.
"During the search, investigators found large amounts of cash: buried in forests, hidden in agricultural and warehouse buildings as well as residential properties, and stored in high-value safes in secluded locations," the agency said.
The discoveries come amid an extensive anti-corruption campaign launched by Prime Minister Peter Magyar, who defeated Orban in April's parliamentary elections, ending his 16 years in power.
According to the NVVH, investigators recovered 5.07 billion Hungarian forints, €2,658,350 and $1,257,100 during the two-day operation.
The combined amount was valued at approximately €17.7 million ($19.5 million).
The agency said the recovered money had been deposited into an account held by the Hungarian State Treasury.
Finance Minister Andras Karman said the unusually large volume of banknotes required considerable time and resources to process.
"Upon receipt, 12 Treasury employees spent 8 hours counting the money using 5 counting machines," Karman wrote on Facebook.
Sesztak's lawyer, Gabor Papp, did not respond to an emailed request for comment on the agency's announcement.
The seizure marks the latest development in Magyar's anti-corruption campaign, which he has dubbed "Operation Purgatory."
Since taking office following his April election victory, the center-right prime minister has pledged to investigate allegations of corruption and abuse of office under Orban's administration.
Magyar also promised to repair Hungary's relations with the European Union after years of tensions between Brussels and Orban's government.
Several figures associated with the previous administration have recently been detained as investigations gained pace.
Two other former ministers and former central bank governor Gyorgy Matolcsy have been arrested in separate corruption investigations. They have denied wrongdoing.
Authorities have also detained Orban's brother in a separate people-smuggling case, which the former prime minister has characterized as politically motivated.
Following the latest cash seizure, Magyar declared that the investigation represented a turning point in efforts to hold members of the previous government accountable.
"This officially marks the end of the Fidesz-KDNP mafia!" he said, referring to Orban's Fidesz party and its Christian Democratic allies.
Magyar's campaign has received substantial public backing, according to polling published this week.
A survey by the Median polling institute, released by Hungarian news website HVG, found that 70% of respondents considered the anti-corruption campaign "very important."
Another Median survey showed support for Fidesz had fallen to 16% of voters by November, roughly half its level before the April elections.
Political scientist Gabor Torok said images of the large piles of seized cash could further damage the party's standing.
Orban did not immediately comment on Friday's announcement.
However, the former prime minister has previously rejected the investigations targeting his associates, describing them as "political persecution" intended to put him behind bars.
The investigations remain ongoing, and the seizure of the cash does not establish the criminal responsibility of Sesztak or others under investigation.
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