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.
Szijjarto's spokesman, Bertalan Havasi, stated that the flights fully complied with the relevant government decree. 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.
Separately, Daniel Jellinek, one of Hungary's wealthiest businessmen, was questioned by police and prosecutors on Tuesday as part of an investigation into alleged bribery linked to a bus procurement deal. Prosecutors said they carried out raids at multiple locations and were questioning four suspects, while three people had been detained. Indotek Group, the real estate firm Jellinek heads, said he had voluntarily complied with a summons and remained continuously available to authorities.