Hungarian Foreign Minister Investigates Ex-Minister’s Costly Private Air Travel
Criminal Complaint Filed Over Use of Private Flights
BUDAPEST, Sept 15 (Reuters) - Hungary's foreign minister said on Tuesday that she had filed a criminal complaint against former minister Peter Szijjarto and his team for regularly using costly private flights instead of scheduled flights in the past four years.
Background of the Investigation
The report filed by Foreign Minister Anita Orban is the latest in a series of findings by the new government in its anti-corruption drive, after Prime Minister Peter Magyar ousted Viktor Orban after 16 years in an April landslide election win.
Reactions from Former Leadership
Viktor Orban has rejected allegations of corruption. His spokesman, Bertalan Havasi, said in an emailed reply to Reuters that the foreign minister's flights fully complied with the relevant government decree.
"In recent years, foreign engagements for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade have been organised with exemplary efficiency," he said. "Peter Szijjarto therefore deserves praise, not politically motivated attacks."
Details of the Alleged Mismanagement
In a video posted on Facebook on Tuesday, Anita Orban said there was no trace of savings considerations in Szijjarto and his team's travel arrangements.
Use of Chartered Flights
"From 2022 onwards, they routinely shifted to using chartered private flights or the army's planes for the minister (Szijjarto) and his delegation's travels," she said.
Financial Impact
She said documents and the probe showed that, between 2022 and 2026, these trips cost on average almost six times, or 4 billion forints ($12.6 million) more than scheduled business-class flights would have cost.
"The uncovered facts therefore raise the suspicion of mismanagement of funds causing a significant loss, and also raise the responsibility of the ministry's former leadership," she added.
Currency Exchange Rate
($1 = 318.3500 forints)
(Reporting by Krisztina Than; Editing by Alex Richardson)
