Stories
Professional Background / Sector
Retaliation Suffered
The Andras Horvath case: Tax inspector against the $4.5 billion carousel fraud
The Andras Horvath case: Tax inspector against the $4.5 billion carousel fraud
Professional background:
Civil Servant
Retaliation:
Criminal Proceedings, Job Loss, Reputational Damage
Andras Horvath had been working as a tax inspector for 11 years when he realized that something wasn’t right. Some big companies in Hungary were stealing millions from the tax authorities through a complex scheme known as the carousel fraud that cost the budget $4.5 billion per year.
The Istvan G. Pinter Case: The head of EY Budapest was responsible for the disappearance of TI Hungary’s Second Report
The Istvan G. Pinter Case: The head of EY Budapest was responsible for the disappearance of TI Hungary’s Second Report
Professional background:
Nonprofit
Retaliation:
Institutional Closure, Reputational Damage
Dr. Istvan G. Pinter wrote: disappearance of the Transparency International’s Second Report in 1999 represented the loss of a comprehensive anti-corruption reform program for Hungary.
The Istvan G. Pinter Case: Did the successor to the dismissed compliance officer inform the Supervisory Board?
The Istvan G. Pinter Case: Did the successor to the dismissed compliance officer inform the Supervisory Board?
Professional background:
Employee
Retaliation:
Job Loss, Psychological Abuse or Harassment
Dr. Istvan Pinter as the compliance officer issued warnings about integrity risks on several occasions throughout the year. A few weeks before he was due to submit his annual report to the Supervisory Board, he was dismissed.
The Istvan G. Pinter Case: The anti-money laundering report as a trap
The Istvan G. Pinter Case: The anti-money laundering report as a trap
Professional background:
Employee
Retaliation:
Job Loss, Disciplinary Proceedings, Psychological Abuse or Harassment
Dr. Pinter, in his capacity as compliance officer, refused to comply with an unlawful directive from management to include false information in the annual money laundering report. Retaliation: dismissal, citing organizational restructuring.
The Istvan G. Pinter Case: An anti-corruption mission cut short
The Istvan G. Pinter Case: An anti-corruption mission cut short
Professional background:
Employee
Retaliation:
Job Loss, Institutional Closure
CEO appointed by Mayor Tarlos hired the anti-corruption expert with experience in corporate matters in Capital City to Budapest Security Office Nonprofit Ltd., which supervised the security at all municipal enterprises. A couple of months later the Budapest City Council unexpectedly dissolved the company.
The Istvan G. Pinter Case: The Military Prosecution
The Istvan G. Pinter Case: The Military Prosecution
Professional background:
Employee
Retaliation:
Job Loss, Disciplinary Proceedings
The on-duty military prosecutor received an unlawful verbal order not to record the complaints of opposition demonstrators who objected to police action on the national holiday. A year later, he was no longer a prosecutor.
The Istvan G. Pinter Case: The Institute’s Closure
The Istvan G. Pinter Case: The Institute's Closure
Professional background:
Employee
Retaliation:
Institutional Closure
In retaliation for corruption investigations, the Hungarian Institute of Public Administration, founded in 1931 by the internationally renowned public administration academic, professor Zoltán Magyary, was first renamed during Ferenc Gyurcsány’s prime ministership and then dissolved immediately before Viktor Orbán’s second government.
The Istvan G. Pinter Case: The Budapest Audit
The Istvan G. Pinter Case: The Budapest Audit
Professional background:
Internal Auditor, Justice System
Retaliation:
Job Loss, Reputational Damage
An independent anti-corruption audit uncovered hidden political decision-making networks, systematic opacity, and institutional abuse. What followed was years of professional retaliation, discrediting attempts and suppression of the report's findings.