Investigation: Former Hungarian Prime Minister Orban ordered the kidnapping of Ukrainian collectors of “Oschadbank”

Former Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban ordered the kidnapping of Ukrainian collectors from “Oschadbank”, which occurred on March 5.

This is stated in an investigation by the Hungarian publication Telex.

The attack on the collection vehicles of the Ukrainian “Oschadbank” had no legal basis and was politically planned in advance, investigative journalists found out.

The Hungarian Office for the Protection of the Constitution confirmed by Telex that the order for the raid date came directly from the Prime Ministerʼs Office in early March. Orbán was personally briefed on the operation on the day of the raid.

Also, according to sources, the government was hinting with this incident that the money transported by Ukrainian collectors was of dubious origin and was used to finance opposition forces.

According to sources, Orban ordered this forceful action as a “response” to Ukraine for stopping oil transit through the “Druzhba” oil pipeline, which was damaged by a Russian strike. At the time, the Hungarian prime minister was convinced that Kyiv had stopped oil transit for political reasons, not for repairs.

Kidnapping of the “Oschadbank” collectors in Hungary

On the night of March 6, “Oschadbank” reported that seven of its collectors and two collection vehicles had been detained in Hungary. The vehicles were on a regular route between Ukraine and Austria. Hungary said it had detained the Ukrainian collectors on suspicion of money laundering.

Meanwhile, Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó, commenting on the situation, said that “the question arises whether this is not money from the Ukrainian military mafia”.

“Oschadbank” responded by explaining that since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, all transportation of currency and banking metals has been carried out only by land. “Oschadbank” collection vehicles perform such trips every week and have a license for international transportation from the State Service for Transport Security.

All the collectors detained in Hungary have extensive work experience — from 3 to 21 years. The valuables in the cars belong to a state bank and were transported from Austria to replenish the cash market in Ukraine. Subsequently, the National Police of Ukraine initiated criminal proceedings into the kidnapping of Ukrainian citizens and their official car.

On the evening of March 6, all seven collectors were deported and returned to Ukraine. The Foreign Ministry said that the men were kept in handcuffs for 28 hours and transported blindfolded. One of them felt sick and fainted.

The Guardian, citing sources in Ukrainian law enforcement agencies, wrote that Hungarian anti-terrorist police agents forcibly injected one of the collectors of “Oschadbank”. According to Ukraine, it was a relaxant designed to make a person more talkative during interrogations.

On March 10, the Hungarian government issued a special decree after the seizure of $40 million and €35 million in cash and nine-kilogram gold bars from “Oschadbank”. The countryʼs National Tax and Customs Administration intended to hold them until the investigation was completed.

On April 8, the Hungarian National Tax and Customs Administration reported new “evidence” in the “Oschadbank” case and published a video with Ukrainian collectors. Hungary claimed that the video shows a former SBU major general forging documents in a gas station toilet, while other collectors discuss “corruption money”.

The Hungarian side also claimed that the collectors were transporting money that was not in circulation: Budapest links them to several banks and financial institutions in Poland and Gibraltar.

“Oschadbank” confirmed that the money was new, recently printed, and had not been in circulation. The bank emphasizes that this is fully consistent with its legitimate activities.

As for the video, it was most likely found by Hungary on the phone of one of the collectors. When the video was published, it was subtitled in Hungarian with phrases that the collectors do not say. When one of the collectors says: “It is clear what you are doing,” the subtitles translate his words as “it is clear that corruption money is visible”.

The video itself is dated back to March of last year, and was filmed near Vienna. During that trip, the inverter in the collectorsʼ car broke down, so they went to print the necessary documents in the parking lot, where there was electricity. It was the process of signing these documents that was filmed.

After the elections and the change of government in the country on May 6, Hungary returned the money to “Oschadbank”. It is about $40 million, €35 million and 9 kilograms of gold.

On May 18, Hungary canceled the previous deportation decisions and a three-year ban on entry to the Schengen area for seven “Oschadbank” employees who were illegally detained in March.

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