Hungary Lifts PM Peter Magyar's Immunity, Ex-Orban Ministers
The new office will target several high-profile cases as lawmakers vote on lifting immunity for former ministers facing separate corruption allegations.
- On Monday, the Hungarian Parliament voted 139-0 to lift the immunity of Prime Minister Peter Magyar, former Culture and Innovation Minister Balazs Hanko, and former National Development Minister Miklos Sesztak, clearing the way for investigations.
- These votes mark a new phase of 'Operation Purgatory,' an anti-corruption initiative Magyar launched in June after campaigning to investigate corruption and abuses during Viktor Orban's 16 years in office.
- Prosecutors are investigating Hanko for alleged misuse of 17.3 billion forints from the National Cultural Fund, while Sesztak faces bribery allegations linked to Volanbusz and Magyar faces a separate nightclub incident.
- The National Asset Recovery and Protection Office will now begin investigating these high-profile cases, tasked with tracing, protecting, and recovering public assets removed from public ownership.
- While Magyar called the case against him a 'farce,' both Hanko and Sesztak have denied wrongdoing; lawmakers from Orban's Fidesz party and the Christian Democratic People's Party did not participate in Monday's vote.
29 Articles
29 Articles
Prime Minister Peter Magyar has backed the move himself. Two formation ministers who served under his rival Viktor Orban now face separate corruption probes.
Hungary's parliament on Monday revoked the legal immunity of Prime Minister Peter Magyar and two ministers in the government of former nationalist leader Viktor Orban to allow separate criminal investigations against them, Euronews reports.
The Asset Recovery Office has named its first four cases: investigations involving local government, state investment and propaganda expenditures will be launched.
He said they can take on cases in which at least one report has already been made.
The parliament may also extradite Miklós Seszták, Balázs Hankó and Péter Magyar at the extraordinary session on Monday morning, convened partly for this purpose and partly to elect (not) the candidate for Attorney General.
Coverage Details
Bias Distribution
- 50% of the sources are Center
Factuality
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium
