NAV investigation at National Cultural Foundation: approximately 17 billion forint suspected
According to authorities, significant financial damage to the state could have resulted from the distribution of cultural subsidies; several people are already in detention.
NAV investigation at National Cultural Foundation: approximately 17 billion forint suspected
The National Tax and Customs Administration is conducting a criminal investigation into a scandal surrounding the National Cultural Foundation (NKA), according to reports by Index.
According to investigators, the foundation's decision-making body allocated more than a thousand financial subsidies from the end of 2024, which together exceeded 17 billion forint. The authorities' view is that these decisions caused enormous financial damage to the state.
In June, the NAV carried out searches at multiple locations: it searched the building of the cultural ministry, the offices of the organisation managing the subsidies, and the homes of certain individuals. Numerous people were questioned as witnesses. During the investigation, several former employees, including Balázs Bús, were taken into custody.
Balázs Hankó, who previously headed the cultural ministry, said in a newspaper interview that his former subordinates were, in his view, unlawfully detained. The politician described the entire procedure as a "politically determined action". In his opinion, all affected cultural programmes received funding through regular public tender procedures, and decisions were made on professional grounds.
The scandal erupted when an actor made public information showing that the foundation paid performers from public funds who campaigned alongside the ruling party. These included Gabi Tóth, Dopeman and Attila Pataky.
Source: Index
Source: Index