Oschadbank says Hungary falsified video evidence in case involving Ukrainian cash-in-transit guards
Ukraine's Oschadbank has said the Hungarian side falsified a video used as evidence in the case of the unlawful detention of the bank's cash-in-transit guards and funds in early March.
Source: a statement by Oschadbank, as reported by European Pravda
Details: On Wednesday, Hungary's National Tax and Customs Administration (NAV) published an update on the status of the "investigation". In its statement, NAV released a link to a video supposedly obtained from the mobile phone of one of the cash-in-transit guards detained in Hungary.
For nearly a month, the Hungarian investigative authority has not responded to repeated requests regarding the legal grounds for holding the property of Oschadbank employees, including the mobile phone of one of the cash-in-transit workers, as well as access to the information stored on it.
Under these circumstances, the bank considers the seizure of the phone, its continued retention, and access to its contents unlawful.
Accordingly, the publication of a video from the device is also illegal, the bank stressed.
Quote: "Oschadbank officially states that the published video was falsified. The video contains audio of a conversation between members of the cash-in-transit team. Hungarian-language subtitles were added for publication to a Hungarian audience, including the phrase 'corruption money', which is not present in the audio track. It is precisely this specially added phrase that forms the basis of NAV's conclusions linking this video to the case of the unlawful detention of Oschadbank funds."
Details: The bank also noted that the published video is archival footage and was recorded on 10 March 2025 near Vienna.
All cash-in-transit vehicles are equipped with a mobile office, including a laptop and printer for document processing. However, during the trip on 10 March 2025, the inverter malfunctioned, forcing the team to use access to an electricity network at a parking area to print documents.
The printed package of documents required to receive the cargo included a CMR form, packing list, invoice and ticket, and the team leader's signature on the documents was certified with a seal.
"All these processes were properly documented and entered into the systems of the customs authorities of the sender (the European Union) and the customs authorities of Ukraine. The original documents shown in the video are available and contain the relevant stamps of the Hungarian and Ukrainian customs authorities," the statement said.
The choice of the parking area for access to electricity was explained by the fact that cash-in-transit teams on short routes do not use hotels, as the vehicles are equipped with mobile sleeping facilities.
Oschadbank has demanded the immediate return of all unlawfully seized assets and said it reserves the right to take legal action over the dissemination of disinformation.
Read more: Orbán's Ukrainian gamble: seized cash, the Kremlin connection and Europe's silence
Background: An Oschadbank representative filed a complaint with Hungary's Office of the Prosecutor General in the cash-in-transit workers case.
Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!