Orban denied that he had ordered the arrest of Oschadbank's cash collectors

Former Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán denied that he had ordered the detention of Ukrainian cash collectors from Oschadbank. According to him, the counterterrorism police acted on their own initiative, within the scope of their authority.

Orbán stated that the government did not give law enforcement any instructions, and that the officers themselves had allegedly done their job well. He also claimed that, if necessary, he could have personally issued such an order.

At the same time, the Hungarian politician accused the Ukrainian cash transporters, without providing any evidence, of illegally traveling through the country’s territory.

Earlier, local media reported that the detention may have been politically motivated and that the order allegedly came from Orbán himself. In connection with this case, law enforcement officials questioned the former head of the Hungarian counterterrorism agency, János Hajdu—who is considered a longtime ally of the politician—as well as three police officers.

A criminal investigation has been opened into the unlawful detention of the cash transporters.

Source: Bloomberg

As a reminder, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sibiga stated that the Hungarian side has yet to explain the reasons for the detention of the seven Oschadbank cash collectors. 

A team from the National Bank traveled to Budapest in response to the detention of Oschadbank employees.

Hungary has also accused the detained Oschadbank cash collectors of money laundering.