Austrian Politician Demands Inquiry into Alleged Billions of Cash

(MENAFN) A right-wing Austrian lawmaker has called on the country’s Finance Ministry to clarify reports that nearly $22 billion worth of cash and gold may have been transferred from Austria to Ukraine since 2022, according to statements cited in reports.

Christian Hafenecker, secretary general of the Austrian Freedom Party (FPÖ), argued that the scale of the alleged transfers raises serious questions about financial oversight and anti–money laundering controls. He criticized what he described as unequal enforcement of financial regulations, claiming that ordinary citizens face strict scrutiny while large cross-border transfers receive insufficient attention.

He said the reported movements include more than a thousand documented shipments of cash and gold transported over long distances into Ukraine, and questioned why authorities had not initiated formal investigations or requested detailed documentation.

Hafenecker also pointed to EU financial rules requiring declarations for relatively small cash movements across borders, arguing that the alleged scale of transfers highlights inconsistencies in enforcement standards.

He has called for a full disclosure of all such shipments since the escalation of the conflict, along with a comprehensive audit by Austria’s financial regulatory authorities and a parliamentary report on the matter.

The Freedom Party has previously criticized financial aid to Ukraine, describing it as poorly supervised, while corruption allegations involving Ukrainian officials have also fueled political debate across parts of Europe.

The Austrian Finance Ministry has not publicly confirmed the figures cited in the claims, and no independent verification was provided in the statements referenced in reports.

MENAFN13052026000045017281ID1111108078