Hungary's parliament on Monday voted to lift the immunity from prosecution of Prime Minister Peter Magyar and two former ministers from Viktor Orban's government. The move clears the way for separate investigations into allegations of corruption and other offences.

Lawmakers voted 139-0 to lift the immunity of Magyar, former Culture and Innovation Minister Balazs Hanko, and former National Development Minister Miklos Sesztak. Members of Orban's right-wing populist Fidesz party and its ally, the Christian Democratic People's Party (KDNP), did not participate in the vote.

Magyar, whose centre-right Tisza party came to power in April, had himself called on lawmakers to lift his immunity. Prosecutors are investigating a 2024 incident in which Magyar allegedly took a mobile phone from a man filming him at a Budapest nightclub and threw it into the Danube. Magyar has described the case as a "farce" and accused prosecutors of trying to associate his case with corruption allegations against former members of Orban's government.

Hanko, now a Fidesz lawmaker, is being investigated over the alleged misuse of public money from Hungary's National Cultural Fund. Prosecutors allege that public funds were improperly used in more than 1,000 cases, causing losses of 17.3 billion forints (€44.5 million). Hanko has rejected the allegations.

Sesztak, a KDNP lawmaker who served as national development minister from 2014 to 2018, faces a separate investigation concerning alleged bribes linked to contracts involving the state-owned bus company Volanbusz. Magyar defeated Orban in April after campaigning on a pledge to investigate alleged corruption and abuses of power during Orban's 16 years in office.

Source: www.dw.com