BUDAPEST, Hungary: Hungary's Foreign Ministry has reported suspected fraud and other possible crimes to prosecutors over the purchase of ventilators during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Foreign Minister Anita Orban said on August 25.

The ministry bought nearly 17,000 ventilators for about 300 billion forints ($963.82 million) under the previous government. According to the report filed with prosecutors, thousands of the machines were surplus equipment that could not realistically be used and were bought at inflated prices.

Officials representing the former ruling right-wing Fidesz party did not immediately respond to emailed requests for comment.

Orban said the ministry had carried out an internal review of the purchases made during the pandemic. However, she said the audit could provide only a partial picture because some records and documents had to be recovered electronically.

The ministry based its report to prosecutors on 88 gigabytes of information, including about 130,000 recovered files.

Orban said the number of ventilators purchased by the Foreign Ministry was far higher than what Hungary's healthcare system could realistically use. The country did not have enough doctors, intensive care nurses or hospital beds to operate and accommodate all the machines.

She said most of the ventilators bought during 2020 are still being kept in warehouses.

Figures from Hungary's import and tax authorities also showed that Hungarian companies supplied the ventilators at prices significantly higher than their factory prices, according to Orban.

Prosecutors will now examine the Foreign Ministry's report and determine whether further investigation or legal action is warranted.