BRATISLAVA, December 9, (WEBNOVINY) — Interior Minister Daniel Lipsic had not looked into the file regarding the case of funding of the SMER-SD party. The minister told the press on Thursday that a minister is informed about ongoing investigation, which is his right and is in line with the law. “I hope no one doubts that,” the minister stated. Police Corps President Jaroslav Spisiak reported about the closure of criminal prosecution in the case of alleged illegal financing of SMER-SD party to the interior minister. “Now, where is the problem? That the interior minister is informed about what the police are doing? I hope not. According to me, a problem in the past was when the interior minister read from a file at a news conference,” said Lipsic, referring to his predecessor Robert Kalinak for the SMER-SD party.
Lipsic would consider it appropriate, correct and transparent if decisions of the investigator and special prosecutor about the case of SMER’s funding were made public. He thinks that the public has the right to be informed, while there are court decisions regarding making the prosecution’s decisions public”.
Special Prosecutor Dusan Kovacik told the media on Thursday that he would ask the investigator of the case of SMER’s funding who had had a look into the investigation file, who had had it at their disposal and whether an official record had been made about providing the file. “In case of a transgression or violation of respective provisions of the Penal Code, I will insist on drawing responsibility against the responsible person,” said Kovacik in his statement. He decided upon this after Wednesday’s news conference of the Interior Ministry and the Police, which dealt with Kovacik’s decisions regarding dismissing the investigator’s decision to start criminal action in the case of SMER’s funding. Kovacik is convinced, based on the statements made at the conference, that at least the police president had the file at his disposal, while Interior Minister Daniel Lipsic knew about Kovacik’s decision in advance. “It is unacceptable for a prosecutor to be, after announcing his decision, subject to direct media pressure, and pressured regarding his decision-making, when incompetent persons publicly and in a live broadcast criticize his decision, while evaluating concrete evidence acquired within the case review and by making public half-truths and even lies,” Kovacik stated.
Dobroslav Trnka, Slovakia’s Prosecutor General, said on Wednesday that the investigator dealing with the case of a wiretap of voice similar to the voice of opposition SMER-SD chairman Robert Fico, was under pressure. According to Trnka, the investigator was ready to dismiss the case. “… Because the evidence and interrogation, which were carried out in the presence of the special prosecutor show that it is nothing but a delusion,” said Trnka at a news conference on Wednesday. “Ask the investigator whether she was visited by Dr. Lipsic (the Minister of Interior — SITA note), by Dr. Zilinka (Interior Ministry State Secretary — SITA note) or by Dr. Spisiak (police President — SITA note). Ask those people, under what pressure they work,” said Trnka. Interior Minister Daniel Lipsic and Police President Jaroslav Spisiak rejected the allegations
Shortly before the parliamentary election in June, the SME daily published an audio recording showing that secret donors probably poured at least 75 million Slovak crowns into the Smer-SD party several years ago, bypassing the official accounts.
SITA