ZOAHARIAN.COM – The discovery of cash worth USD 19.5 million or the equivalent of IDR 355 billion shocked Hungary. Investigators found large piles of cash in a number of locations, some of which were suspected to have been deliberately buried in the forest.

This discovery is related to an investigation into an alleged corruption case that involved a former minister during the government of former Hungarian Prime Minister, Viktor Orban.

The amount of money found was not small. The value reaches hundreds of billions of rupiah and is now an important piece of evidence in the investigation into alleged misuse of public funds in this European country.

Money Found in Forests and Warehouses

Based on information from the National Asset Recovery and Protection Office (NVVH), searches were carried out on 12 and 13 November 2026 in a number of locations, namely Budapest and the regions of Pest, Békés and Nógrád.

During the operation, investigators found cash hidden in various ways. Some of the money was buried in forest areas, while others were kept in agricultural buildings, warehouses, people's homes, and high-value safes in hidden locations.

The total money recovered consisted of 5,071,632,000 Hungarian forints, 2,658,350 euros and 1,257,100 US dollars. If converted, the value reaches around USD 19.5 million.

The money was then deposited into the Hungarian state treasury.

The process of calculating the confiscated money also takes quite a long time. Hungarian Finance Minister, András Kármán, said that 12 state treasury employees spent eight hours counting all the money using five money counting machines.

Former Minister Allegedly Received Billions in Bribes

This investigation concerns Miklós Seszták, Hungary's former Minister of National Development who served in the 2014–2018 period under Viktor Orban's government.

Investigators suspect that Seszták and the former head of the state asset management company received illegal payments of more than 11 billion Hungarian forints between 2015 and 2018.

The alleged bribery practice is related to the procurement of buses for the state-owned transportation company, Volánbusz, as well as a number of construction projects.

In the investigation, Seszták was detained since the end of September 2026. His detention period was then extended until January 30, 2027.

However, Seszták denied any wrongdoing. His lawyer also stated that the money found by investigators did not belong to his client and that there were other parties who were also suspects in the case.

Thus, the ownership of the confiscated money is still part of the investigation process and cannot be ascertained as the former minister's personal property.

Part of the Orban Era Corruption Eradication

This case is part of the new Hungarian government's efforts to investigate alleged misuse of public funds during Viktor Orban's 16-year rule.

Hungary's current Prime Minister, Péter Magyar, previously promised an eradication of corruption and recovery of state assets after winning general elections in April 2026.

The discovery of hundreds of billions of rupiah worth of money also became a big concern because it showed the large amount of cash hidden in various locations.

However, the legal process must still be ongoing to reveal the origin of the money, the parties who control it, and its connection to alleged criminal acts of corruption.

This case has also attracted international attention because it involves former high-ranking officials who were once in Viktor Orban's government circles.