OLAF declined to comment, saying it could not reveal information on cases it is investigating, or not investigating, portfolio.hu reported yesterday. Hungary’s Former ambassador to Washington András Simonyi said in an interview on ATV that the U.S. would not have made such allegations if they did not have sufficient proof, hvg.hu reported.

Simonyi went on to say that the U.S. was sensitive in its timing in that it chose to carry out the ban only after the Hungarian municipal elections, which were held on October 12. András Horváth a former employee of the Hungarian Tax Authority (NAV) also appeared on the ATV program, saying that the alleged corruption activities could have easily happened without FIDESZ or even Viktor Orbán’s knowledge given that NAV is essentially a state unto itself.

He went on to suggest that NAV is a corrupt system that was serving the interests of oligarchs, large corporations and politicians, hvg.hu added. Horváth believes that the government is sitting on ticking time bomb given the growing number of individuals, including his former colleagues who are now willing to speak out.