Police have seized thousands of pages of documents from Hungary’s Ministry of Economy and Energy as part of a criminal investigation launched following an audit of the state-owned Eximbank. The probe concerns suspected abuse of office and mismanagement of funds.
Thousands of pages seized from ministry
Hungarian police have seized thousands of pages of documents from the Ministry of Economy and Energy as part of an investigation into alleged irregularities at the Hungarian Export-Import Bank (Eximbank).
The National Bureau of Investigation (NNI) of the Rapid Response Police launched criminal proceedings after the ministry filed complaints based on information uncovered during an examination of Eximbank’s operations.
Police said on Tuesday that investigators seized the documents from the ministry on 31 August. The material had been collected during the ministry’s internal review and could provide further evidence concerning the alleged offences under investigation.
The case involves suspected abuse of office and mismanagement of funds.
If you missed it: Hungarian government seeks Eximbank investigations over EUR 2.74 billion in deals
Four controversial deals under investigation
Prime Minister Péter Magyar announced in July that the Ministry of Economy and Energy had filed criminal complaints concerning four deals dating from the previous government.
One concerns a HUF 59 billion (approximately EUR 161 million) financing deal connected to the Sofitel hotel and a company close to the business interests of István Tiborcz, the son-in-law of former Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.
According to Magyar, Eximbank made the relevant decision within just two days, allegedly failing to comply even with its own internal rules. The ministry filed a complaint over suspected mismanagement and other potential criminal offences.
A second case involves HUF 126 billion (around EUR 344 million) and an African project linked to Hungarian construction company Duna Aszfalt. The project involved plans to build an expressway between Zambia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Magyar also said the company had obtained financing from the state-owned Hungarian Development Bank in connection with the project.
The third case concerns the Dunakeszi Vehicle Repair Company’s Egyptian project, for which the Egyptian state railway was reportedly granted a HUF 176 billion (approximately EUR 480 million) loan from the Hungarian state.
The fourth investigation centres on a EUR 1 billion general-purpose loan granted to North Macedonia.
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Investigation launched after Eximbank review
The complaints were filed in July after the ministry reviewed the activities of Eximbank and identified information it considered potentially relevant to criminal proceedings. Police investigators are now examining the evidence gathered in the case, including the thousands of pages seized from the ministry.
The investigation is ongoing, and the seizure of the documents does not in itself establish that any criminal offence was committed. Further decisions will depend on the findings of the investigation.
