Hungary Detains Two Orbán-Era Ministers in $87m Probes

Hungarian prosecutors detained former ministers Balázs Hankó and Miklós Seszták on September 28, after Parliament voted 139-0 to suspend their immunity; Fidesz and its allies boycotted the vote and called the proceedings political revenge. Hankó is suspected of misusing National Cultural Fund money, including allegedly directing public awards to political events and 341 million forints to his own constituency, while Seszták is accused of taking bribes tied to public contracts. Both men deny wrongdoing or say they will cooperate, and the allegations have not been proven. The arrests came amid Péter Magyar’s government’s anti-corruption drive and a dispute over the vacant prosecutor general position, which has left Magyar’s party able to block the president’s nominee.