Financial Crime World

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Organized Crime, Corruption, Money Laundering, and Human Trafficking in Hungary

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This report provides an overview of Hungary’s situation regarding organized crime, corruption, money laundering, and human trafficking. Here are some key points:

Organized Crime

The risk of corruption within the justice system is moderate to high.

  • Bribes and irregular payments in return for favourable judgments do occur.
  • Political interference in judicial matters is a serious concern.
  • A separate administrative court was established in 2018, which may compromise the judicial system.

Money Laundering

Hungary has a robust anti-money-laundering framework in place that adheres to international standards.

  • The Hungarian Financial Intelligence Unit’s work and high-quality assistance to other relevant authorities bolsters efforts to detect and disrupt money-laundering operations.
  • Authorities have failed to make full use of the tools at their disposal in money-laundering investigations.

Corruption

Corruption in Hungary presents a significant risk to businesses, particularly in the tax-administration sector.

  • Unauthorized payments are sometimes used to resolve certain administrative tasks.
  • Local corruption in the public procurement sector is derived from strong informal relations between businesses and political actors.

Human Trafficking

Human-trafficking victim-assistance services remain scarce and uncoordinated.

  • Efforts were made to advance victim support, including the appointment of specialized human-trafficking investigators and legislative amendments that included non-punishment provisions for child victims of human trafficking.

Civil Society and Social Protection

The media landscape reportedly deteriorates year-on-year, with media ownership becoming increasingly concentrated in the hands of oligarchs with ties to Hungary’s prime minister.

  • The ruling Fidesz party has asserted control over the public broadcaster, which now praises the government and targets opposition groups.