Hungary Refers Ventilator Purchases to Prosecutors
Hungary’s Foreign Ministry has submitted a report to prosecutors over suspected fraud and other criminal offenses linked to the country’s purchase of nearly 17,000 ventilators during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
Foreign Minister Anita Orban said the purchases, made under the previous government, were worth about 300 billion forints, equivalent to roughly $964 million. The ministry’s review found that thousands of ventilators may have been purchased in quantities far beyond what Hungary’s healthcare system could realistically use.
The investigation is examining whether public funds were improperly spent and whether some equipment was acquired at significantly inflated prices.
Audit Finds Surplus Equipment and Missing Records
According to the ministry, an internal review was complicated by incomplete documentation from the pandemic-era procurement process. Officials said some electronic records had to be recovered before investigators could establish a fuller picture of the transactions.
The ministry said its report was based on approximately 88 gigabytes of recovered information, covering around 130,000 files.
Orban also said the number of ventilators purchased exceeded the capacity of Hungary’s hospitals, including the available numbers of doctors, intensive-care nurses and hospital beds capable of supporting the equipment.
A large proportion of the machines purchased during the health emergency reportedly remain in storage rather than being used in hospitals.
Questions Over Prices and Procurement Practices
The Hungarian government has also raised concerns about the prices paid for the ventilators. Data from import and tax authorities indicated that equipment supplied through Hungarian vendors was acquired at prices substantially higher than factory-level prices, according to Orban.
The findings have prompted authorities to examine whether the procurement process resulted in financial losses for the state and whether individuals involved in the transactions could face criminal responsibility.
The report does not establish guilt, and any allegations will have to be assessed by prosecutors and other competent authorities as the investigation proceeds.
