Hungary's foreign minister files complaint against predecessor over costly flights
Hungary's new foreign minister Anita Orban has filed a criminal complaint against her predecessor Peter Szijjarto, accusing him of routinely using expensive private flights that cost the state nearly six times more than scheduled flights.
Hungarian Foreign Minister Anita Orban has filed a criminal complaint against former minister Peter Szijjarto and his team, accusing them of regularly using expensive private aircraft for official travel over the past four years, Reuters reports, according to "European Pravda".
According to Orban, starting in 2022 Szijjarto and his delegation systematically switched to chartered private flights or military aircraft instead of scheduled commercial flights. The minister said there is no evidence of cost-saving considerations in how these trips were organized.
Documents and the results of an investigation showed that between 2022 and 2026, these trips cost on average nearly six times more — or 4 billion forints (12.6 million dollars) more — than scheduled business-class flights would have cost. Orban added that the findings give grounds to suspect misuse of funds causing significant damage, and raise questions about the accountability of the ministry's former leadership.
The complaint is the latest step in the new government's anti-corruption campaign following Peter Magyar's rise to power. Former Prime Minister Viktor Orban has rejected the corruption allegations. His spokesperson Bertalan Havasi told Reuters that Szijjarto's flights fully complied with the relevant government regulation, adding that in recent years the ministry's foreign trips had been organized with exemplary efficiency, and that Szijjarto deserves praise rather than politically motivated attacks.
Orban had previously filed a complaint with the Prosecutor General's Office regarding procurement conducted by the foreign ministry during the coronavirus pandemic under Szijjarto's leadership. It has also been reported that Hungary launched an investigation into state subsidies for Chinese electric vehicle maker BYD, where Szijjarto took a job after leaving parliament, as well as an investigation into Szijjarto's alleged ties to Russia, though details have not yet been disclosed.
