Hungary: Ex-Culture Minister Hankó Detained Over Fund Misuse

Former Hungarian culture minister Balázs Hankó presented himself to investigators in Budapest on Monday evening, hours after parliament suspended his immunity, on suspicion of misappropriating public funds during his time in office.

Prosecutors allege that Hankó diverted roughly 17.3 billion forints, equivalent to about $53.6 million, from the National Cultural Fund in the run-up to April's national elections. The fund is intended to finance cultural projects. Investigators say he personally intervened to direct money on political grounds and to cover campaign costs for the Fidesz party led by former prime minister Viktor Orbán, who lost that election.

Hankó arrived at the Central Investigation Department of the Criminal Directorate-General of the National Tax and Customs Administration. Before entering, he was seen embracing János Bóka, the Fidesz parliamentary caucus leader, but he took no questions from reporters. Asked by a journalist what he expected, Hankó said he had received a summons and had shown up as he had previously said he would.

A second former minister, Miklós Seszták, who held the development portfolio, is also under suspicion. His immunity was suspended as well. Prosecutors suspect him of accepting more than $37.2 million in bribes and kickbacks tied to vehicle procurements at Hungary's state bus company and to state construction projects.

Lawmakers from Fidesz and its coalition partner, the Christian Democrats, did not participate in Monday's immunity vote. They described the charges against their colleagues as political tyranny by the centre-right government of Prime Minister Péter Magyar.

The cases involve some of the most senior figures from Orbán's administration and are being pursued under Magyar's new government, which has described its efforts as an attempt to uncover years of large-scale fraud and theft of public money.