Kyiv responds to Hungary's "military mafia" claim over Oschadbank money seizure
Hungary's Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó has yet again claimed, without providing evidence, that money transported through Hungary by several cash-in-transit vehicles from Ukraine's state-run Oschadbank could belong to a "Ukrainian military mafia". Ukraine's Foreign Ministry has responded by saying that "a guilty conscience needs no accuser".
Source: Szijjártó on Facebook; Heorhii Tykhyi, spokesman for Ukraine's Foreign Ministry, on X (Twitter), as reported by European Pravda
Details: Szijjártó criticised a Sunday post on X (Twitter) by Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, who called on Hungary to return the currency and gold bars seized from Oschadbank cash-in-transit vehicles after they were detained on 5 March.
Quote from Szijjártó: "Instead of being outraged, they should finally answer simple questions: why were Ukrainians transporting US$900 million and €420 million in cash in Hungary? What did they spend it on and in whose interests? How much of it was spent in Hungary and in whose interests? Ukrainians have been unable to answer these simple questions for three days, so suspicion is growing that this could be money from the Ukrainian military mafia."
Quote from Tykhyi: "In Ukraine, we say: … 'A guilty conscience needs no accuser'. This is exactly the case. We are waiting for the return of the stolen funds and are preparing concrete legal action. And we will also demand justice and accountability."
Background:
- On 6 March, Szijjarto said Budapest suspects that the Oschadbank vehicles were carrying "money from the Ukrainian military mafia".
- On the evening of 6 March, seven Ukrainian cash-in-transit guards detained in Hungary returned to Ukraine.
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