Former Slovak police chief István Hamran has criticised the head of Hungary’s newly established National Asset Recovery and Asset Protection Office (NVVH), saying it is unacceptable to suggest that no legally final corruption convictions can be expected for six years.
Hamran, who led Slovakia’s police force between 2021 and 2023, discussed Hungary’s new anti-corruption institution, accountability and the challenges facing investigators in an interview with Slovak-Hungarian news outlet Bumm.sk.
He said he was initially somewhat sceptical about the idea of creating a dedicated authority to recover assets allegedly diverted through public procurement and other schemes. However, he acknowledged that the NVVH has been given strong formal powers, its own budget and staff.
“On paper, the conditions are good,” Hamran said.
‘Six years without results is unacceptable’
Hamran was particularly critical of Anna Róza Unger, the political scientist chosen by Hungary’s parliament to lead the NVVH for six years. Unger has no previous experience as an investigator, prosecutor or judge, although Hamran said she should be given an opportunity to prove herself.
What he found unacceptable, however, was Unger’s suggestion that expecting final court convictions within six years would be unrealistic.
“I understand that Hungarian courts work slowly, but even as the head of a new authority, you cannot say this in advance,” Hamran said. “It discourages those who are waiting for accountability.”
He pointed to Slovakia’s experience after 2020, when investigations reached senior politicians, police chiefs, prosecutors and business figures. According to Hamran, more than 40, approaching 50 people, received final convictions within two years.
“If a country invests money, energy, experts and six years into an authority specifically created for this purpose, but it cannot produce a single result backed by a final conviction, I would immediately dissolve it,” he said.
‘It’s the people, not the organisational chart’
Hamran argued that the success of an anti-corruption authority ultimately depends less on its formal powers than on the people working inside it.
During his time as Slovakia’s police chief, he said he replaced investigators he considered untrustworthy with experienced officers and younger recruits. This, he claimed, helped dramatically improve public confidence in the police and enabled investigations into previously untouchable figures.
He also warned that investigators need political independence and personal courage.
“You need professionals who cannot be bought, who do not want to serve politicians, oligarchs or influential businessmen, but the public interest,” he said.
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A warning from Slovakia
Hamran believes Hungary faces another challenge: ensuring that institutional reforms survive future changes of government. He pointed to Slovakia, where Robert Fico’s return to power was followed by the abolition of the National Criminal Agency (NAKA) and the Special Prosecutor’s Office.
For Hungary, he said, this should be a warning that simply establishing a powerful new institution is not enough. Strong legal and social safeguards are needed to make it harder for a future government to dismantle it.
Hamran also believes Péter Magyar’s government must avoid turning accountability into political revenge.
“Politicians cannot decide who should be handcuffed or imprisoned,” he said. Investigators should examine well-founded suspicions regardless of who is involved, while courts must ultimately decide guilt.
The former police chief also warned that Viktor Orbán could eventually return to power if the new government fails to meet voters’ expectations. For Magyar, he said, creating the NVVH is therefore only the beginning. The authority must quickly demonstrate lawful, credible results, or risk disappointing the very voters who demanded accountability.
