Hungary preparing to seize stolen Oschadbank money and valuables until "end of probe"
Máté Kocsis, the leader of the parliamentary group of Hungary’s ruling Fidesz party, has submitted a bill providing for the seizure until the end of the investigation of the funds and valuables of Ukraine’s Oschadbank captured in Hungary.
As reported by Censor.NET with reference to European Pravda, the text of the bill has been published on the parliament’s website.
What is it about?
It is noted that the proposal concerns an "unusual amount" of cash and gold that was being transported through Hungary.
Kocsis proposed that the assets seized last week be treated as confiscated until the procedure launched by the National Tax and Customs Administration (NAV) is completed. A committee member from the Fidesz party said that the authorities are investigating how the purpose and use of the transported assets affect national security. However, he said that the method of transportation and the identities of the carriers may pose a threat to Hungary’s national security.
In addition, Kocsis said that many aspects of the "scandalous Ukrainian gold convoy" case remain unclear.
Bill to be discussed in parliament
According to Telex, the bill will be discussed in parliament under an exceptional procedure, as announced during the open part of the National Security Committee’s meeting on Monday. The committee usually meets behind closed doors, but to discuss Kocsis’s bill, committee members moved to another room, where the meeting was open for some time.
It is also reported that opposition MSZP member Zsolt Molnár questioned why Máté Kocsis brought forward the proposal at this particular moment, ahead of the elections, and why he submitted it so quickly. Committee chairman Zoltán Sas of the Jobbik party also objected to the proposal being tabled so quickly because there had been no time to study it in detail.
According to Sas, there are also concerns about retroactive legislation in connection with this proposal. However, they also agreed that the issue could pose a threat to national security.
For his part, Máté Kocsis briefly responded to their concerns, saying that although concerns about retroactive effect may indeed arise, the proposal concerns this specific issue, which requires legislative regulation.
He apologized for submitting the proposal at such short notice, explaining that parliament will meet only on Monday and Tuesday before the elections, so a decision on the proposal must be taken urgently.
The committee voted four in favor of Kocsis’s proposal, with two abstentions, those abstaining being Zoltán Sas of the Jobbik party and Zsolt Molnár of the MSZP party. Committee members also voted the same way to recommend that the National Assembly discuss the proposal as an exception.
Background
- Orban said that Hungary would break through the Druzhba pipeline "blockade" "by force."
- The Hungarian tax authorities confirmed the detention of seven Ukrainian citizens.
- Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry advised citizens to refrain from traveling to Hungary.
- A team from the National Bank of Ukraine is urgently traveling to Budapest over the detention of the cash collectors.
- The Ukrainian National Police has launched an investigation.
- The Hungarian government has stated that the seven Ukrainian cash collectors would be deported.
- On the evening of 6 March, Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha announced the release of seven Ukrainian cash collectors who had been detained in Hungary.
