A former Ukrainian-born Hungarian gang member, László Kovács, has accused Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán of accepting ‘large sums of cash’ from Ukrainian-born Russian underground ‘top boss’ Semion Mogilevich, allegedly to finance his 1998 election campaign.
According to a conversation with Kovács, published by Latvia-based investigative outlet The Insider on 7 April, he said he sometimes worked as a courier for Mogilevich—who he knew through his associate Igor Kokol, a well-known figure in Ukrainian organized crime networks—usually handling deliveries of small amounts of money, between $50,000 and $100,000. However, he claimed that in 1997—in the midst of a highly chaotic electoral campaign, marked by bombings and high-level murders in Budapest—much larger sums began to appear, and that Mogilevich once handed over a ‘large leather sports bag containing one million dollars’ to him. ‘All these large sums were intended for “Vitya” — that is what Mogilevich called Orbán,’ Kovács said, according to The Insider.
According to Kovács, Mogilevich counted on Orbán’s rise to power to give him ‘complete freedom of action’—likely meaning to get away with different types of crimes. At the time, he alleged, the bombings and killings in the Hungarian capital outraged society and helped boost Orbán’s ratings ahead of the election, which he and his party ultimately won in 1998. Orbán became prime minister for the first time that year.
‘Mogilevich counted on Orbán’s rise to power to give him “complete freedom of action”’
However, according to Kovács, once in power, Orbán got rid of his ‘former associates and sponsors’, with Mogilevich himself also forced to leave Hungary. ‘Could the Russian authorities have made use of the compromising material that Mogilevich has on Orbán? I do not have reliable information about that, but I think they certainly could,’ he said.
Kovács also accused Hungarian Minister of Interior Sándor Pintér—then Chief of Police in Budapest—of ordering and organizing killings and bombings, including the murders of Hungarian businessmen József Prisztás and József Boros. The latter was described by Kovács as ‘the biggest explosion’ in central Budapest: ‘the explosion was horrific. Nothing remained of Boros. His lawyer was also killed, along with two passersby, and dozens of people were injured. It was in the very center of the city. The surrounding buildings looked as if they had been bombed from the air,’ he said.
These incidents were allegedly carried out by Slovak hitman Jozef Rohác, whom Kovács linked to Pintér. In March 2026, Rohác admitted that he carried out several bombings in the 1990s, including one at the Budapest headquarters of Orbán’s Fidesz party in 1998. According to his lawyer, these bombings were committed in the ‘interest of Fidesz’, although he did not know whether any Fidesz politicians were involved in the planning or aware of these actions, and no evidence was presented.
‘The article concludes with Kovács stating that in the case of a government change in Hungary, he will “absolutely testify in court”’
According to his own account, Kovács said he delivered money to Pintér directly several times in order to make some cases ‘disappear’. He also alleged that Pintér profited millions from the so-called ‘oil bleaching’ business together with Mogilevich.
The article concludes with Kovács stating that in the case of a government change in Hungary, he will ‘absolutely testify in court’, adding that currently he cannot provide further information as it would end up at Pintér. ‘I very much want to look Sándor Pintér in the eyes,’ Kovács said. According to him, he was sentenced to seven years in prison ‘at the behest of Pintér’ on a ‘fabricated’ kidnapping charge.
The allegations remain unverified, and no supporting evidence has been presented publicly to substantiate the claims.
Related articles:
At a time when public debate is increasingly polarized and superficial, Hungarian Conservative remains committed to depth, intellectual honesty, and independent conservative thought.
Producing high-quality journalism requires resources. Your contribution helps us expand our coverage, reach new audiences, and keep our content accessible.
Please consider supporting our mission.
