The Budapest Metropolitan Police Headquarters has taken over a bribery case involving former Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto related to his appointment at Chinese carmaker BYD, Index reported. Because Szijjarto is no longer a member of the National Assembly, he lacks parliamentary immunity and faces up to three years in prison if convicted.
Public figure Istvan Tenyi initiated the investigation by submitting a statement concerning possible bribery tied to Szijjarto's new role at the vehicle manufacturer. The prosecutor's office stated that the former minister's actions could fall under laws prohibiting the receipt of an undue advantage in the interest of a commercial organization. The Metropolitan Investigation Prosecutor's Office initially reviewed the complaint before transferring the materials to the Budapest police due to qualification details and Szijjarto's lack of immunity.
Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Magyar said the executive position at BYD might represent a public expression of gratitude for Szijjarto assisting the company with constructing an assembly plant in Szeged while serving as minister. Magyar noted that a corporation of that size hires an official under such circumstances only to reward past favors, adding that contracting with BYD amounts to serving the Communist Party of China. He added that patriotic Hungarian politicians would not take such action, while noting that leading Fidesz politicians are leaving the party and announced the creation of a new political group.
National security concerns and Russian links
The National Security Committee of the Hungarian Parliament is examining potential national security risks connected to Szijjarto joining the Chinese firm. UNIAN previously reported that Hungarian authorities began investigating Szijjarto's ties to Russia following leaked recordings from earlier this year. In those recordings, Szijjarto informed his Russian counterpart about European Union meetings and offered assistance to weaken EU sanctions against Moscow. Magyar stated that the recordings appeared to show high treason requiring thorough investigation, though Szijjarto insisted the discussion was ordinary diplomatic communication.
Internal probe into cash collector raid
Hungarian leadership has also ordered immediate internal investigations into the March detention of cash collectors from Ukrainian bank Oschadbank, an incident known as the golden convoy case. Verification checks will examine the tax authority NAV, the Counter-Terrorism Centre TEK, and other participating agencies. Media outlets previously reported that an internal NAV report identified legal violations, official omissions, and significant flaws during the raid on the cash transport.
