Hungary recovers 2.27 billion forints from Mészáros-linked fund

The Hungarian government has recovered approximately 2.27 billion forints from a private equity fund linked to Lőrinc Mészáros. Dávid Vitézy, the Minister for Transport and Investments, announced that the funds were returned following a legal dispute regarding profit distributions.

The dispute arose from a 64.5 billion forint acquisition of three key players in the electronic toll system—Kupon Portfólió Kft., Setech Flotta Kft., and i-Cell Mobilsoft Zrt.—conducted during János Lázár's ministry. An audit revealed that a clause in the purchase agreement for Kupon Portfólió allowed the previous owner, Prime Tech Private Equity Fund, to claim 2025 profits. This led to the previous owner collecting a 2.27 billion forint dividend advance.

After the state-owned company took legal action to contest the payment, the previous owner returned the amount on August 5, ensuring the funds remain within the state company's reserves. Minister Vitézy stated that the government is conducting comprehensive audits of state transport companies and institutions to review transactions where the misuse of public funds is suspected and to recover taxpayer money wherever possible.