Hungary files criminal complaint over fraud in purchase of 17,000 ventilators from China
Hungary's Foreign Ministry has denounced suspected fraud in the acquisition of Chinese ventilators during the pandemic, valued at 826 million euros.
Budapest investigates purchase of ventilators from China for 826 million euros
Hungary's Foreign Ministry has filed a criminal complaint over suspected fraud in the acquisition of approximately 17,000 ventilators from China during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Correio da Manhã.
The purchase was made in March and April 2020 by the previous Hungarian government, then led by Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, for 965 million dollars — equivalent to 826 million euros.
The operation drew criticism from the outset: the country acquired a volume of equipment far exceeding what it could realistically use, and at unit prices considerably higher than those paid by other European countries during the same period.
Hungary's chief diplomat, in a video published on Facebook on Tuesday, stated that the results of the ministry's internal investigation "raise suspicions of breach of fiduciary duty, causing particularly high financial losses, and of other criminal offences".
Source: Correio da Manhã