Hungarian authorities have discovered nearly $20 million (£14.8m) in cash during an investigation into Miklós Seszták, a former minister who served under Viktor Orbán. The money was found hidden in farm buildings, buried in forests, and concealed in agricultural and residential buildings and warehouses across the country, according to the National Asset Recovery and Protection Office (NVVH).
Mr Seszták, who was minister of national development for four years during Mr Orbán's 16-year rule, is accused of accepting bribes as part of a scheme involving the state transport company. He has denied any wrongdoing.
The cash, amounting to "5,071,632,000 forints, €2,658,350 and $1,257,100", has been deposited into the Hungarian State Treasury. The discovery follows a two-day search, and new Prime Minister Péter Magyar described it as the end of the "mafia" on Friday.
Mr Magyar unseated Mr Orbán in an April election, promising a sweeping anti-corruption drive, which he has dubbed "Operation Purgatory." The NVVH was established to investigate corruption allegations from the Orbán rule. Two of Mr Orbán's former ministers, including Mr Seszták, and former central bank chief Gyorgy Matolcsy have been under arrest since September over graft accusations in separate investigations, all denying wrongdoing.