General Director of the Hungarian State Opera Szilveszter Ókovács’ contract has been terminated following an audit overseen by the Ministry for Social Relations and Culture.

According to reports, the investigation found several irregularities, including the bonus payments without the required ministerial approval.

Ervin Nagy, state secretary for culture, took to social media and said, “The light of the Hungarian State Opera House reveals some amazing things. While the management of the institution has repeatedly mentioned that it needs more state support, the number one leader of the institution has established additional benefits along with the monthly gross salary of HUF 4.8 million.”

As a result, Balázs Ivacs will serve as acting general director during the transitional period while the Ministry prepares a new call for applications for the position.

Ókovács ran the state opera in Budapest for the past 15 years. He has announced that he intends to take legal action and noted on social media, “I haven’t met the Minister of Culture and State Secretary of Hungary, who is the leader of the largest institution, and the person in charge of dialogue, livability and humanity, with me. They didn’t accept my calls, they didn’t respond to our messages, our letters. They didn’t see our performances.”