Hungary has decided to seize Oshchadbank’s funds and gold, - media
The Hungarian government has adopted a resolution on the seizure of currency and valuables from Oshchadbank's cash collection vehicles. The document is intended to create a legal basis for these actions.
According to Censor.NET, this was reported by European Pravda, citing a copy of the Hungarian government's resolution, which is available to the editorial office.
The document is entitled "On necessary measures in connection with the unusually large amount of cash and gold bars transported through the territory of Hungary, with the aim of protecting the national security interests of the state." It is dedicated specifically to the episode involving the attack by the Hungarian special services on the Ukrainian cash transport convoy.
What was seized?
The resolution states that they seized 35 million euros, 40 million US dollars in cash, and nine gold bars weighing one kilogram each from the cars of Oschadbank's cash collectors.
In the document, the Hungarian government states that "the purpose and destination of the unusually large amount of cash and gold, as well as the legal grounds for their transportation through Hungarian territory, were not clarified at the inspection site," and that, according to their version, the transportation allegedly took place "not in accordance with normal international practice."
The position of Ukraine and banks
Ukrainian authorities and European bankers have publicly denied these claims. They explained that after Russia launched a full-scale invasion in 2022, ground transportation of cash became virtually the only possible way for Ukraine to transport funds, so such operations are routine and not exceptional.
Investigations and political statements
Despite this, Orbán's government claims that "the method of transporting the property and the persons who carried out the transport posed risks to national security," citing the previous four years of transport of funds by Ukrainian banks as an argument that allegedly increases the "threats" to Hungary.
The adopted resolution states that its purpose is to determine, in particular, "the identities of the carriers and their possible links to criminal or terrorist organizations, as well as the consequences of this transport operation for Hungary's national security." "It is also important to determine whether part of the specified property was used on the territory of Hungary, and if so, to whom and for what purpose it was transferred, as well as what impact this had on Hungary's national security," the text says.
As is known, in recent days, the Hungarian government has launched a campaign claiming that the funds, contrary to the available documents, were allegedly intended to finance the Hungarian opposition.
Without providing any arguments in support of these claims, the government has decided that the seized property "shall be considered confiscated and subject to appropriate treatment" for the period of the investigation by the National Tax and Customs Service – "within 60 days after this decision comes into force."
