Key facts
- Hungary's Foreign Minister Anita Orban filed a criminal complaint against former minister Peter Szijjarto.
- The complaint alleges Szijjarto and his team used costly private flights over the past four years.
- Szijjarto's spokesman stated the flights complied with government decrees.
- Trips between 2022 and 2026 reportedly cost 4 billion forints ($12.6 million) more than scheduled flights.
BUDAPEST, Sept 15 (Reuters) - Hungary's Foreign Minister Anita Orban announced on Tuesday that she has filed a criminal complaint against former minister Peter Szijjarto and his team for allegedly using costly private flights instead of scheduled flights over the past four years. This action is part of the new government's anti-corruption initiative, following Prime Minister Peter Magyar's election victory in April.
Szijjarto's spokesman, Bertalan Havasi, stated that the flights fully complied with the relevant government decree and that Szijjarto deserved praise for his efficiency. However, Orban presented findings from a probe suggesting that between 2022 and 2026, chartered private flights or army planes used by Szijjarto and his delegation cost approximately 4 billion forints ($12.6 million) more than scheduled business-class flights would have. Orban indicated that these facts raise suspicions of mismanagement of funds and significant financial loss, implicating the former leadership of the ministry.