Raids targeting anti-corruption chief rock Hungary’s government

Police in Hungary have raided the offices of the Integrity Authority, a state body that overseas the use of EU funds.

The chief prosecutor has announced that its chairman, Ferenc Biro, is suspected of corruption and abuse of authority.

Police also raided Biro’s home, and took away documents.

He has admitted to “lending his official car to his wife to go shopping” but rejects the allegations and says he is being targeted for political reasons, “from the top”.

That statement alone has raised eyebrows in Hungary.

Ferenc Biro and his wife Judit are insiders in the leading ranks of the governing Fidesz party, with excellent relations at the highest level. His position and salary are equivalent to that of a government minister.

The Integrity Authority was set up in early 2023, to prove to the European Commission that EU funds were correctly spent and audited. Its leaders were appointed by the president of the republic.

The chief prosecutor’s office also accuses him of obstructing the work of his two vice-presidents.

The allegations are rocking the government for three reasons.

They come only 10 days after Antal Rogan, the minister in charge of government communications and the secret services in Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s Cabinet, was placed on the sanctions list by the US Treasury, as “a primary architect, implementer and beneficiary of this system of corruption”.

That move was bitterly criticised by the government as the “personal revenge” of outgoing US ambassador David Pressman.

The second reason is that Chief Prosecutor Peter Polt has long been accused by the opposition of failing to investigate corruption in the governing Fidesz party.

The third reason is that Hungary permanently lost €1bn (£845m) in EU funds on 31 December, and billions more are endangered if it does not fulfil strict EU criteria for the release of funds that have already been suspended.

“Throughout my career I have been fighting corruption and fraud, and for ethics and integrity,” Biro wrote in his application letter for the post of president in October 2022.

According to a statement released by the chief prosecutor, in addition to his official vehicle, Biro rented a second luxury car, racking up a 14m Hungarian forint (€34,000; £29,000) bill.

Hungarian media reports allege that office funds were used to renovate his luxury home, and build a fence several hundred metres long around it.

Starved of EU funds, with the Hungarian currency losing value and a sharp rise in annual inflation to 4.6% last month, the Hungarian economy is in trouble.

Critics of the government believe Ferenc Biro may be right – that Viktor Orban is trying to sacrifice one of his chess pieces, in order to access badly needed cash.

Biro has hit back against the investigation in a statement of his own.

“Today they have specifically attacked my person and through this they have sought to make the operation of the Integrity Authority impossible,” he said on Thursday night.

“Our organisation has always operated and continues to operate to the highest ethical and legal standards.”