Hungary launches probe into seizure of Ukrainian cash and gold

Hungary's new government has launched an investigation into the seizure of a Ukrainian bank cash transport, sparking concerns over the previous government's handling of the incident.

Hungary has launched ​an internal investigation of ​its tax authority, ‌counter-terrorism forces and ​other agencies over the seizure of a routine Ukrainian bank cash transport ‌under the previous government. Seven Ukrainians transporting $82 million in cash and gold in two armoured vehicles were briefly detained in ‌March on suspicion of money laundering, at a time ‌when the government of Viktor Orban, an ally of Russia who has since been ousted, was at loggerheads with Kyiv.

Ukraine's Oschadbank said ⁠its ​employees had ⁠been engaged in a routine operation of the kind that it ⁠had carried out weekly since Russia's invasion of Ukraine. In a Facebook ​post on Wednesday, Prime Minister Peter Magyar, overwhelming winner ⁠of April's election, said the prosecutor general "must address the matter without ⁠delay".

Orban ​had made scepticism towards support for Ukraine in its war with Russia a central plank of ⁠his campaign, and vetoed new European Union sanctions on Moscow as ⁠well ⁠as a loan for Kyiv. Hungary returned the cash and gold to Ukraine days before Magyar's ‌inauguration.