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Hungary Uncovers Nearly $20 Million Cash Hoard, Some Buried in Forests, in Orbán-Era Corruption Probe
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![Photo of Ivan Khomenko]( "Photo of Ivan Khomenko")
Hungarian authorities have seized nearly $20 million in cash, including money buried in forests and hidden inside buildings, during a corruption investigation involving Miklós Seszták, a former minister under Viktor Orbán, according to The Guardian on November 14.
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Investigators from Hungary’s National Asset Recovery and Protection Office (NVVH) conducted coordinated searches on November 12 and 13 across Budapest and the counties of Pest, Békés, and Nógrád.
Here is the footage released by the National Asset Recovery and Protection Office showing billions of forints' worth of cash being dug out of the ground. The money belonged to @PM_ViktorOrban's former minister, Miklós Seszták.
— Magyar Péter (Ne féljetek) (@magyarpeterMP) November 13, 2026
When the money was handed over, 12 employees of the… https://t.co/CwWxTTHHDO pic.twitter.com/FFmfPa9iv6
Authorities recovered more than 5 billion forints ($15.3 million), €2.66 million ($2.9 million), and $1.26 million in US currency. The cash was discovered buried in wooded areas, concealed in agricultural buildings, warehouses, and residential properties, and stored in high-security safes.
Hungarian Finance Minister András Kármán said 12 Treasury employees spent eight hours counting the seized banknotes using five counting machines. The funds were subsequently transferred to Hungary’s State Treasury.
Seszták, who served as national development minister from 2014 to 2018, was detained in September over allegations involving inflated public transportation contracts.
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According to Hungarian outlet Telex, investigators suspect that state-controlled bus operators purchased more than 600 secondhand buses at inflated prices between 2015 and 2018, potentially generating 11 billion forints in unlawful benefits. Seszták denies wrongdoing.
The investigation is part of a broader anti-corruption campaign launched after Péter Magyar defeated Orbán in Hungary’s April 2026 election, ending his 16-year rule.
Authorities have also detained other former senior officials, including two ministers and former central bank governor György Matolcsy, in separate corruption investigations. Those accused deny wrongdoing. On November 9, Hungarian authorities raided a property linked to Áron Orbán, the former prime minister’s brother, as part of a separate human-smuggling investigation.
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-72b63a4e0c8c475ad81fe3eed3f63729.jpeg "Photo of Cyril Barabaltchouk")
