Hungarian prosecutors and investigators with the country's tax authority on Tuesday raided offices containing data servers utilized by former Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's Fidesz party. The action is part of an ongoing probe into suspected embezzlement and misuse of grant money.
Marianna Bodó, a spokesperson for the Bács-Kiskun County chief prosecutor’s office, stated that the investigation concerns the suspected misuse of funds from Hungary's National Cultural Fund during Orbán's previous government. The county is located south of the capital, Budapest.
Six current and former officials have been charged in connection with the alleged misappropriation of approximately 17 billion forints (about $53.5 million) from the fund. These individuals have denied any wrongdoing.
Prosecutors accuse the officials of distributing the funds in an opaque manner to artists and performers affiliated with Fidesz. Some of these individuals actively supported the party in the lead-up to April's national election.
Fidesz has accused the governing Tisza party, led by Prime Minister Péter Magyar, of employing legal means to damage its operations. In a statement on Facebook, Fidesz asserted that investigators initiated the raid "without prior notice" with the aim of seizing the party's entire communications system and databases. The party claimed this action is unprecedented in Hungary since the end of communism in 1990.
Orbán and Fidesz governed Hungary for 16 years before losing the national election in April. During their tenure, the party faced accusations of widespread corruption, consolidating control over state institutions, and undermining democratic principles and the rule of law.
Since taking office in May, Magyar has initiated measures to dismantle what he described as Orbán's "mafia" structure. These actions include removing numerous political appointees and heads of institutions perceived as enabling Orbán's administration.
Following their electoral defeat, Fidesz has accused Magyar and Tisza of "tyranny" for their efforts to dismantle Orbán's political and economic system. Tisza maintains that it is leveraging its substantial electoral mandate to fulfill its campaign promises.
Prime Minister Magyar stated on Facebook on Tuesday that he was awaiting further details regarding the raid from the prosecutors' office. A regional criminal directorate of the National Tax and Customs Administration assisted in Tuesday's raid, according to Bodó, who declined to provide additional information, citing the ongoing investigation.