Former NAV investigator: Political influence may have been behind the closure of the Gattyán case

New and serious allegations have emerged, this time concerning the operations of Hungary’s National Tax and Customs Administration, known as NAV. Lajos Tiszolczi, a former criminal investigator at the authority, has once again spoken publicly, claiming that he was removed from the tax office for political reasons after a nearly HUF 20 billion tax fraud case came too close to the highest levels of power.

Tiszolczi became widely known in 2024, when, in an interview with Partizán, he spoke in detail about an investigation involving business interests linked to entrepreneur György Gattyán. According to his claims, NAV had been examining whether Gattyán’s corporate network may have avoided paying approximately HUF 19 billion in taxes. The former investigator said the case had reached an advanced stage when, in the summer of 2021, Mihály Varga, then finance minister and now governor of the Hungarian National Bank, replaced NAV’s leadership, including the senior criminal investigation officials overseeing the case.

Surveillance after speaking publicly

In his latest interview, Tiszolczi reaffirmed his earlier allegations and shared new details. He said that after the Partizán interview, despite no criminal proceedings being underway against him, he noticed signs suggesting that he had been placed under intelligence surveillance.

According to the former investigator, from the autumn of 2024 onward, he also received similar information concerning other individuals involved in opposition-related activities. Later, when he began assisting the work of the TISZA Party, he said he perceived that the party and its leaders may also have become targets of heightened intelligence interest.

These claims have not been confirmed by any independent authority.

Antal Rogán and the prime minister’s family also mentioned

One of the most significant elements of the latest interview is that Tiszolczi spoke more specifically than before about who may have intervened to bring the Gattyán case to a halt.

He claimed that Antal Rogán, the minister heading the Prime Minister’s Cabinet Office, as well as one of Viktor Orbán’s daughters and his son-in-law, István Tiborcz, may have played a role in the investigation eventually stalling and in reports related to the case being classified.

According to the former investigator, this may raise suspicion of trading in influence. However, based on previous statements, prosecutors have not opened a separate investigation into these allegations.

What can an independent tax authority do?

In a state governed by the rule of law, a minister cannot instruct investigative authorities to refrain from pursuing a case. Tiszolczi argues, however, that informal political pressure can indeed be capable of obstructing a sensitive investigation, particularly when the individuals involved wield significant influence over other state institutions as well.

At the same time, the former investigator believes that, with proper professional leadership, NAV could play a key role in uncovering corruption cases. The authority’s Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorist Financing Office has broad powers: it can map complex financial transactions, cooperate with banks, and identify and freeze significant assets.

Tiszolczi said that with professional determination, political backing, cooperating witnesses and plea agreements, assets worth hundreds of billions of forints that may have been unlawfully acquired could potentially be identified and partly recovered.

In his view, however, this would require far-reaching personnel changes within NAV, as many senior officials who remain inside the authority are still linked to the previous political system.

In recent weeks, a series of cases and allegations have come to light raising corruption-related questions about the functioning of the Orbán government. Opinion polls suggest that a significant majority of Hungarian society expects any new political leadership to ensure that those responsible for abuses involving public funds are held accountable before the law, regardless of political affiliation. Whether this happens may become one of the most important tests of the period ahead.