Miklós Seszták and Balázs Hankó were detained on Monday after parliament suspended their immunity, in a dramatic escalation of ongoing investigations involving former government officials.
Two former Hungarian ministers were in custody by Monday evening after parliament lifted their immunity in separate criminal investigations, Prime Minister Péter Magyar said.
Magyar described Monday as the first major day of what he called the “Purification” operation (Tisztítótűz), accusing his political opponents of engaging in what he called an “unworthy game of hide-and-seek”. His comments came after former ministers Seszták Miklós and Hankó Balázs were both taken into custody.
The Hungarian Parliament voted in a special session on Monday to suspend the immunity of Seszták, a Christian Democrat (KDNP) MP, and Hankó, a Fidesz MP and former minister of culture and innovation. It also suspended Magyar’s immunity in a separate case.
Seszták detained after going to prosecutors
Seszták voluntarily went to the Central Investigative Prosecutor’s Office in Budapest on Monday morning, shortly after parliament suspended his immunity. He was subsequently detained, according to his lawyer and multiple Hungarian media reports.
The Prosecutor’s Office had requested the suspension of his immunity over suspected acceptance of an official bribe. The investigation is linked to allegations involving corruption, although Seszták has denied wrongdoing.
Read more: Former Orbán-era minister Hankó detained and taken to Kecskemét
Hankó taken into custody in Budapest
Hankó remained in Parliament for much of the day, saying he was prepared to cooperate with the investigation and that he had nothing to hide.
He was eventually summoned to the National Tax and Customs Administration (NAV) building on Huszti út in Budapest after 8 PM. Hír TV reported that he gave a statement there before being detained. According to his lawyer, Hankó was then taken to Kecskemét, where his formal questioning as a suspect would take place.
The investigation concerns suspected mismanagement of funds connected to the National Cultural Fund (NKA). Prosecutors previously said investigators were examining decisions involving more than 1,000 funding applications worth over HUF 17 billion.
Hankó has rejected the allegations and described the proceedings as politically motivated. Fidesz parliamentary group leader János Bóka likewise called the case a political proceeding and alleged that the political right was being targeted.
Magyar, meanwhile, said that by the end of Monday “two former ministers are in the hands of the authorities”. The investigations are continuing, and the detention of the two politicians does not in itself establish criminal liability.
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