Hungarian Defence Ministry spending investigation

Hungarian Defence Minister Romulusz Ruszin-Szendi has launched investigations into suspicious military spending and procurement practices from the previous administration.

The inquiry began with the discovery of a controversial purchase of an exclusive, four-horse Esterházy-style carriage. Originally intended as a ceremonial gift for the 2023 coronation of King Charles III, the carriage was added to the Hungarian Defence Forces' inventory despite the gift plan being abandoned. The minister questioned the necessity of the purchase and the use of taxpayer funds for ceremonial items rather than national defense.

Following this, the minister filed criminal complaints for breach of trust after an audit revealed further irregularities. These include a 12 billion forint consultancy contract awarded to a British company without a tender for management training and uniform designs that were never implemented.

Additional findings involve the alleged misuse of military resources for private purposes, such as spending millions of forints on security for private foreign trips and hunting excursions, as well as luxury car rentals. The investigation also noted that some invoices had been shredded to conceal the paper trail.