Belföld Investigation Launched in Officer Bence Szabó’s Hundred-Person Case

An investigation has been launched against a senior Hungarian police investigator who publicly alleged that intelligence services pressured his unit to target the opposition Tisza Party in a covert operation, authorities confirmed.

The investigator, Bence Szabó, a senior officer in the cybercrime division of Hungary’s National Bureau of Investigation (NNI), came forward in late February with claims that his department had been pressured by the Office for the Protection of the Constitution (AH) to conduct house searches on two IT specialists linked to the Tisza Party based on an anonymous tip alleging child exploitation offences.

Shortly after Szabó spoke publicly in an interview with investigative outlet Direkt36, authorities conducted a search at his home and workplace, and an investigation was launched against him on suspicion of abuse of office.

According to Szabó’s account, the operation began in July 2025 when the NNI received a tip that two Hungarian men were suspected of child pornography. The AH specifically drew attention to the report and urged police to act quickly.

During the searches, investigators discovered the two men were IT specialists connected to the Tisza Party — one responsible for protecting the party’s IT infrastructure, the other previously employed by the party. No evidence of child pornography was found on their seized data storage devices.

However, hundreds of screenshots of message exchanges were recovered, revealing what Szabó described as an attempt to recruit one of the specialists to create backdoor access to the Tisza Party’s IT systems. The individuals involved pretended to cooperate while seeking to identify the source of the approach.

Szabó stated that following the searches, pressure mounted from the AH to pursue the case despite the lack of substantiated evidence, which he characterized as an intelligence-linked operation aimed at undermining the opposition party ahead of the April 2026 parliamentary elections.

After his interview with Direkt36 was published, police searched Szabó’s residence and office at the NNI. His lawyer, Adrienn Laczó, confirmed the searches and said an investigation into alleged abuse of office had been opened against him.

The case has intensified scrutiny over the role of Hungary’s intelligence services in political matters, particularly in the context of the closely contested election campaign. The Tisza Party, led by Péter Magyar, has been polling strongly in the lead-up to the vote.

To date, no official statement has been issued by the AH or the NNI regarding Szabó’s allegations or the basis for the investigation into his conduct. The investigator remains in his position pending further proceedings.