BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) 鈥� Prosecutors and investigators with Hungary’s tax authority on Tuesday raided offices housing data servers used by former prime minister ‘s Fidesz party as part of a probe into suspected embezzlement and other crimes, a prosecutor’s office spokesperson told The Associated Press.
Fidesz accused the governing Tisza party, led by pro-European Prime Minister P茅ter Magyar, of seeking to use legal means to destroy it.
Marianna Bod贸, a spokesperson for the B谩cs-Kiskun County chief prosecutor鈥檚 office, said in an email that the raid was part of an investigation into the suspected misuse of grant money through Hungary’s National Cultural Fund while Orb谩n’s government was in office. The county lies south of the capital, Budapest.
Six current and former officials have been charged in connection with the misuse of some 17 billion forints ($53.5 million) through the fund. They have denied wrongdoing.
The officials have been accused of distributing the money in an opaque manner to artists and performers linked to Fidesz. Some of them actively campaigned for the party leading up April’s national election.
A regional criminal directorate of the National Tax and Customs Administration assisted in Tuesday’s raid, Bod贸 wrote, adding that no further information could be provided 鈥渋n the interests of the investigation.鈥�
Fidesz said in a statement on Facebook that investigators had launched the raid 鈥渨ithout prior notice鈥� and 鈥渨ith the intention of seizing the party鈥檚 entire communications system and databases.鈥�
鈥淭here has been no precedent for this in Hungary since the end of Communism in 1990!鈥� Fidesz asserted.
Orb谩n and Fidesz governed Hungary for 16 years until their in April. While in office, they were routinely accused of overseeing unchecked corruption, seizing control of Hungary’s institutions and undermining democracy and the rule of law.
After taking office in May, Magyar has taken action to dismantle what he calls Orb谩n鈥檚 鈥渕afia鈥� by removing numerous political appointees 鈥� 鈥� and heads of institutions viewed as having facilitated Orb谩n鈥檚 autocratic government.
Since their election defeat, and Tisza of 鈥渢yranny鈥� in their steps to dismantle Orb谩n’s political and economic system. Tisza argues it is using its overwhelming electoral mandate to fulfill campaign promises.
Magyar wrote on Facebook on Tuesday that he was awaiting further information on the raid from prosecutors.
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