Detention of collectors in Hungary: Oschadbank employee tells of over 24 hours in handcuffs and forced injections

A member of the Oschadbank collection team, Hennadii Kuznetsov, said that after their detention in Hungary, Ukrainian collectors were held in handcuffs for over 28 hours and interrogated at the Anti-Terrorism Center.

He reported this on March 24 during a press conference.

According to Kuznetsov, the detention took place on the Budapest ring road after the police stopped the collector's cars and ordered them to follow them. After checking the documents, he claims, special forces blocked the transport with armored vehicles and carried out a forcible detention.

What is known about the interrogations of Ukrainian collectors in Hungary

The collector reported that the crew members were separated, put in different cars and taken to the Anti-Terrorism Center. There, according to him, they were held in handcuffs for more than 28 hours and interrogated without consular assistance or lawyers.

Kuznetsov said that during the interrogation, representatives of the investigative bodies of the Hungarian customs service came to him and announced that they were interrogating a witness. He noted that he refused to participate in the investigative actions.

After that, according to him, forced medical influence was applied to him - an injection of an unknown substance was made. Later, during the interrogation, he felt sick, after which he was hospitalized, where additional medical procedures were performed, including a drip.

The collector reported that he was explained by the fact that these actions were taken for blood sampling. According to the results of the forensic medical examination, the presence of certain substances was recorded, but he does not disclose details due to the ongoing investigation in Ukraine.

Were there any violations in the transportation of the cargo?

Other collectors were subjected to moral and psychological pressure and physical violence. According to him, the reasons for such actions were not explained to them, although the cargo was registered in accordance with European customs rules and was in the databases of the customs services.

He added that the cargo was declared in Austria, and the transit through Hungary was supposed to take place without stops. According to him, the Hungarian side was informed in advance about the collectors' passage through the Záhony checkpoint.

According to Kuznetsov, he was taken to the border twice. The first time he was taken from the hospital by ambulance, but later returned, saying that Ukraine allegedly refused to accept him. After about 40 minutes, he was taken to the border again, where he was handed over to the Ukrainian side.

Under what conditions were the collectors handed over to Ukraine?

Border procedures were carried out formally, documents were issued without explanation, and the translation was carried out in russian.

Chairman of the Board of Oschadbank Yuriш Katsion reported that on March 12, two collection vehicles were returned to the bank without cash and valuables and with damage. According to him, communication equipment, a walkie-talkie and a video surveillance camera were seized from the vehicles.

On the morning of March 6, Minister of Foreign Affairs Andrii Sybiha reported that Hungary had captured 7 Oschadbank employees who were traveling with money on a collection flight from Austria. Hungarian law enforcement agencies hid two stolen Oschadbank collection vehicles in the closed territory of the Anti-Terrorism Center. The amount of valuables in the stolen vehicles amounted to USD 40 million, EUR 35 million, 9 kg of gold.

In turn, Oschadbank stated that the transportation of funds and valuables was carried out directly by the bank within the framework and in accordance with an international agreement with Raiffeisen Bank, Austria.

On the evening of March 6, Ukraine secured the return of seven collectors detained by Hungary.

Hungarian Transport Minister János Lázár said that the funds seized from the collectors of the Ukrainian Oschadbank will remain in the country until Ukraine resumes the operation of the Druzhba oil pipeline.