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Peter Magyar (Photo: REUTERS/Marton Monus)
The Hungarian government will introduce a bill allowing tax
authorities to examine politicians’ wealth, including assets held over the
past 20 years, PM Peter Magyar announced on Sept. 17, as reported by Daily
News Hungary.
Under the bill, the National Tax and Customs Administration (NAV) would investigate whether politicians’ assets and lifestyles correspond with their declared incomes and asset declarations. The reviews could cover a period dating back 20 years. They would apply to current politicians as well as people whose terms ended within the past five years. The assets of family members could also be examined.
The initiative would apply to MPs, prime ministers, ministers, and state secretaries, among others.
Magyar also said that if investigators find signs of a criminal offense, they would refer the information to agencies responsible for asset recovery and protection, as well as prosecutors or police.
If an investigation finds at least $13,500 in unpaid taxes, the tax authority could publish the violator’s name and position, along with the amount owed.
On Sept. 16, Magyar’s predecessor Viktor Orban
compared the country’s newly established anti-corruption agency with the secret
police of the communist era.
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