Hungarian police raided the offices of the Integrity Authority, the national agency responsible for the use of EU funds abroad.

The chief prosecutor announced that its chairman, Ferenc Biro, was suspected of corruption and abuse of power.

Police also raided Biro’s home and seized documents.

He admitted “lent his wife his official car to go shopping” but denied the charges and said he was targeted for political reasons “from the top”.

This statement alone caused concern in Hungary.

Ferenc Biro and his wife Judit are insiders within the leadership of the ruling Fidesz party and have good relations with the highest levels. His position and salary are equivalent to those of a government minister.

Integrity was established in early 2023 to certify to the European Commission that EU funds are used and audited correctly. Its leader is appointed by the President of the Republic.

The chief prosecutor’s office also accused him of obstructing the work of two deputy deans.

The accusations rocked the government for three reasons.

Just ten days ago, Antar Rogan, the minister in charge of government communications and secret services in Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s cabinet, was placed on the sanctions list by the U.S. Treasury Department, describing him as “the main architect of the system, implementers and beneficiaries”. corruption”.

The move was harshly criticized by the government, which called it “personal revenge” by outgoing U.S. Ambassador David Pressman.

The second reason is that chief prosecutor Peter Poulter has long been accused by the opposition of failing to investigate corruption in the ruling Fidesz party.

The third reason is that Hungary permanently lost €1bn (£845m) of EU funds on December 31, putting billions of dollars at risk if the EU’s strict criteria for releasing the suspended funds are not met.

“Throughout my career, I have fought against corruption and fraud and upheld ethics and integrity,” Biro wrote in his October 2022 application letter for the presidency.

According to a statement released by the chief prosecutor, in addition to his official vehicle, Biro rented a second limousine, which cost him a bill of 14 million Hungarian forints (€34,000; £29,000).

Hungarian media reported that office funds were used to renovate his mansion and build hundreds of meters of fence around it.

Hungary’s economy is in trouble as annual inflation surged to 4.6% last month as its currency depreciated due to a lack of EU funds.

Critics of the government think Ferenc Biro may be right – Viktor Orbán is trying to sacrifice one of his pawns to get much-needed cash.

Biro dismissed the investigation in his own statement.

“Today they specifically attacked me personally and tried to disable integrity institutions in this way,” he said Thursday night.

“Our organization has always been and will continue to operate according to the highest ethical and legal standards.”