Members of the National Criminal Agency (NAKA) detained on Wednesday former Minister of the Interior for the Smer Party, Robert Kaliňák. He and the former Prime Minister and leader of the Smer-SD party, Robert Fico, were accused of founding and plotting a criminal group. However, this is not the first time on the Slovak political scene that they have brought charges against members of the government, either during office or subsequently. Some have ended up in prison, others have been released, and some are still to be resolved. Here are a few known cases.
Russia behind bars
In March 2012, police prosecuted former Economy Minister Pavel Ruska for allegedly unfavorable sales of the steam-gas cycle. During the second reign of Mikuláš Dzurinda, privatization was to deprive the state coffers of 15 pair of Slovak crowns. Russia was supposed to conceal an analysis from the government at the time, which called the sale ineffective.
Russia argued that it was fighting steam and the state saved hundreds of millions of sales at the time. According to him, the National Property Fund was responsible for the sale. The sale also mentioned the Gorilla file in detail. Russia eventually cleared the charges.
However, Paul of Russia was convicted almost ten years later. In the case of the bill of exchange, together with Marian Kočner in January 2021, they were sentenced to 19 years in prison. Russia is also following another indictment, this time in preparation for the murder of businesswoman Silvia Klausova Volzova. However, they postponed the main hearing indefinitely in January 2022 due to the long-term incapacity of the President of the Senate.
Subsidy to the municipality
In November 2013, they accused former Minister of Education László Szigeti of subsidy fraud. At that time, the police stated that, as a minister, they had unjustifiably granted more than a hundred thousand Eurofund subsidies to the municipality of Zemianska Olča, despite the knowledge that they were not entitled to the money.
Szigeti was in the chair for five months in 2006. It was during this period that the police agreed with the mayor of Zemianska Olča to provide subsidies for three and a half million money (over 116 thousand euros).
The mayor asked for money to rebuild the hall in a private building, where local children were to train instead of a dilapidated gym. However, according to the police, this was no longer okay. Szigeti allegedly did not register the request, but decided on it. However, the court eventually acquitted Szigeti.
A pair of convicted ministers
In November 2018, Slovakia was reported that for the first time since 1993, they had legally convicted a minister, equal to two. At that time, the Supreme Court found SNS nominees Marián Janušek and Igor Štefanov guilty of the crimes of machinations in public procurement and public auctions and abuse of power by a public official in the case of a notice board tender. He therefore sentenced them to eleven and nine years behind bars. In addition, he was fined EUR 30 000.
The case dates back to 2007. The then Ministry of Construction was to publish the tender notice only on the notice board in the closed corridor of the ministry. According to the court, by their actions they created the conditions of a pre-selected candidate, thus preventing the competition and helping to achieve a winning consortium of companies close to the SNS ex-president Ján Slot worth 3.5 million euros.
Žiga accused of bribery
In December 2020, they accused Petr Žiga of the former Minister of Economy for Smer. If he proves guilt, he faces up to two to five years in prison under the relevant section of the Criminal Code.
The minister from the time of the third government, Robert Fico, and subsequently also the cabinet of Petr Pellegrini, were accused, according to the statement of the former state secretary of the Ministry of Justice, Monika Jankovská. She was supposed to testify that Žiga tried to bribe the judge of the Supreme Court, Katarína Pramuková, who was deciding the big dispute over Gabčíkovo. According to Jankovska, Žiga was to bring in 100,000 euros, which she was to hand over to the judge. Pramuková allegedly refused the bribe and returned the money.
Žiga called the whole thing a fiction and filed a complaint against the accusation. The Special Prosecutor’s Office rejected it in January 2021. In June of the same year, Attorney General (GP) Maroš Žilinka decided that the resolution of the special prosecutor’s office was illegal. Žiga continued to fight for the charges and lodged a complaint with the GP. I wanted to use paragraph 363 there, but he didn’t walk. The case continues.