“We believe that the action against the staff of the Ukrainian money-carrying cars was not only brazen, but also illegal. We hope that the incident will be dealt with accordingly,” the National Bank of Ukraine responded to the fact-finding article published by Telex on Wednesday in a statement sent to our newspaper. According to the article, several sources familiar with the matter or involved in the matter reported that the government, including Viktor Orbán decided about the need to attack the Ukrainian “gold convoy” on March 5, even though there was no professional reason for it.
The Ukrainian central bank is also hoping for strict action because they are convinced that the rule of law must remain a fundamental value of the EU. According to the central bank, the Hungarian authorities’ action in March undermines efforts to support Ukraine, and also threatens the institution and reputation of the union.
In the resolution, the Ukrainian central bank also wrote that the illegality of the action against the Ukrainian money supplier is proven by the fact that “the Hungarian authorities – on their own initiative and before the conclusion of the court proceedings – revoked the deportation orders issued against all seven employees of Oscsadbank and the three-year bans on entry and stay in the Schengen area”.
Although the central bank welcomes the latter decisions, together with Oschadbank and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, they will continue to objectively investigate the circumstances of the events, and will also work to obtain adequate compensation for “the physical and moral damage caused to Oschadbank’s property and employees.”
On March 5, two vans of Ukrainian money carriers traveling from Austria to Ukraine were pulled over by a police car at the rest area in Alaska. The shipment was headed from Austria, from Raiffeisen Bank, to Oscsadbank’s Ukrainian headquarters on a known transit route. Compared to that, already at the rest area in Alaska they were waiting for the Ukrainians armed commandos of TEK.
HUF 27 billion in money and investment gold found in the vans was confiscated by the NAV, but the Ukrainian money carriers were released hours later and expelled from the country. The Orbán government proudly reported on the spectacular raid, and throughout the election campaign, government communications suggested that the Ukrainians had illegally transported the money and gold.
