The new anti-corruption agency, created by the government of Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Magyar, has announced the first four cases it will work on. The agency is part of the cabinet's stated efforts to curb corruption and misuse of public funds, BTA reports.
The first case is related to the alleged sale of political influence in order to obtain residence and work permits. The second concerns alleged irregularities in local government spending on park maintenance and public catering.
The third investigation is aimed at a state-owned company and state investments. According to Magyar, it is related to businessman Daniel Jelinek, head of “Indotech Group“. He was questioned by police and prosecutors on September 15 in connection with an investigation into alleged bribery in a public procurement contract for the purchase of buses. The company said that Jellinek was cooperating with the investigation and had not committed any wrongdoing in the case.
The fourth case concerns allegedly unjustified expenses for propaganda and events by a state institution. According to Magyar, it concerns the Office for the Protection of Sovereignty, established in 2023 during the rule of Viktor Orbán. The institution was closed by Magyar's government in June.
Magyar claims that corruption and misuse of public funds have cost Hungary between 8% and 10% of GDP in the last years of Orbán's rule. The former prime minister rejects allegations that corruption was left unchecked during his 16-year rule.
Meanwhile, the Hungarian parliament lifted Magyar's immunity in a special session. The decision comes against the backdrop of the start of work by the new anti-corruption structure and the intensifying political dispute over the management of public funds.