Hungarian culture minister Hankó Balázs stays detained pending court decision

The Kecskeméti Court of Appeal ruled that there is credible suspicion of a crime, a risk of escape, and a danger of illegal influence on evidence, and therefore refused the appeal filed by Hankó Balázs and his defense counsel. As a result, the minister for culture and innovation will stay detained through the end of October. Prosecutors allege that Hankó, while serving as culture minister, participated in the distribution of hundreds of grants that actually funded the ruling Fidesz party’s campaign or the private lives of beneficiaries.

One such grant went to Patr-Event Kft., which organized events featuring performers such as Tóth Gabi, Papp Máté Bence and the Legényes Dance Ensemble. Former state secretary Varga-Bajusz Veronika was also taken into custody on October 1, and former NKA deputy chairman Bús Balázs remains detained. The investigation, initiated after a public-interest data request by activist Molnár Áron, has led to the arrest of six people in June and continues to examine the handling of cultural funding by the ministry.