Ventilator purchases: evidence seized by the NNI at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Hungary's National Investigation Office has seized evidence related to ventilator purchases made by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs during the pandemic. In spring 2020, the government acquired around 19,000 ventilators, with 16,000 purchased by Minister Péter Szijjártó for approximately 300 billion HUF. Many of these devices remain unused and stored. Foreign Minister Anita Orbán announced a report of suspected embezzlement and other crimes linked to these purchases. In late October, the prosecution requested the arrest of two suspects involved in the case, one of whom managed the accounting for the involved companies. There is currently no evidence that the ministry verified the capabilities of a newly registered company involved in the procurement.