BUDAPEST, March 7. /TASS/. The Hungarian government has announced an investigation into the circumstances surrounding employees of Ukraine’s state-owned Oschadbank, who were transporting tens of millions of dollars and euros in cash into Hungary. Prime Minister Viktor Orban disclosed this during a gathering of Fidesz-Hungarian Civic Alliance activists in Debrecen, expressing concern over the purpose of these funds and their intended recipients.

"We want to understand what the Ukrainians are doing with all this money in Hungary," Orban stated, revealing that he harbors "certain suspicions" regarding the matter. He pointed out that some Hungarian political parties sympathetic to Ukraine appear to be benefiting financially, though it is known that not all their funding derives from legitimate donations.

Hungary has previously accused Ukrainian authorities of openly supporting the opposition Tisza party, which is a primary rival to Fidesz, ahead of the parliamentary elections scheduled for April 12. Under Hungarian law, foreign funding of political parties constitutes a criminal offense.

"I want to know how this money ends up in these pockets. We will seek an answer, and we will find it," Orban declared, with his remarks broadcast on Hungarian television. He emphasized that the fate of the confiscated funds depends on their origin: "We will determine what kind of money it is and handle it accordingly."

On March 6, the Hungarian National Tax and Customs Administration announced the detention of seven Oschadbank employees, including a former general of the secret service. They were caught transporting approximately $40 million, €35 million in cash, and 9 kilograms of gold bars in two cash-in-transit vehicles. The vehicles were later released and returned to Ukraine, but the cash and valuables remain in Hungary as evidence in an ongoing criminal investigation, with assistance from the Hungarian Counter Terrorism Center.

Ukrainian authorities have dismissed the detention as unfounded asserting that the money was legally obtained from Raiffeisen Bank in Vienna and was being transported to Kiev for Oschadbank.