MORNING NEWS HIGHLIGHTS - Wednesday, August 5, 2020 - 9 a.m.

TASR brings a quick morning overview of the most important events seen in Slovakia on the previous day (Tuesday, August 4): NEW CORONAVIRUS INFECTIONS: 14 Infections in total: 2,368 DAILY TESTS: 1,320 Tests in total: 267,117 NEW DEATHS: 0 (last death reported on July 26) Deaths in total: 29 BRATISLAVA - Jozef Majsky, whose nine-year prison sentence for major fraud concerning non-banking institutions BMG Invest and Horizont Slovakia was confirmed by the Slovak Supreme Court last week and was subsequently sought via an international warrant, has been detained on Tuesday in a Prague hospital, the police have reported on a social network, adding that the next procedure is fully in the hands of the Czech authorities. As Majsky did not start serving his sentence, he is still listed by the Slovak police as a wanted person. BRATISLAVA - The police have started a criminal prosecution for a particularly serious crime of breach of duty in the administration of somebody else's property and abuse of power by a public official in connection with the National Football Stadium (NFS), the Government Office's press and information department and Vice-premier for Legislation and Strategic Planning Stefan Holy (We Are Family) reported on Tuesday. "The Bratislava regional police, as a body active in criminal proceedings, has initiated criminal proceedings for a particularly serious crime of breach of duty in the administration of somebody else's property and abuse of power by a public official," said Holy, informing about the progress in the case of the criminal complaint in this matter. BRATISLAVA - The cancellation of Wednesday"s session of the trial of those who stand accused of ordering the murder of journalist Jan Kuciak is understandable according to both Daniel Lipsic, the lawyer of the bereaved, and Marek Para, the lawyer of defendant Marian K., given the severity of the case. "It"ll be a crucially important verdict so I"m convinced that all members of the senate need to thoroughly prepare and discuss the ruling," stated Lipsic, adding that he doesn"t view the decision to postpone the session dramatically as it is the summer holiday season. "Given the circumstances and gravity of the case, I think it"s appropriate to postpone the case until September 3, I don"t find it unusual," stated Para. PRESOV - The city of Presov will reimburse the costs associated with rescue works following the gas explosion in a 12-storey apartment block on December 6, 2019 that claimed eight lives, the city administration said at a press conference on Tuesday, adding that the city will reimburse the invoice from the company that performed the rescue works only up to the amount recognised in the expert opinion from the Forensic Engineering Institute of Zilina University. "The expert opinion is in the amount of €781,029.08. It's the amount that the city will pay to the company called Matijka because it's substantiated I think by the most renowned expert institute we have in Slovakia and this amount is unquestionable," said Presov mayor Andrea Turcanova. BRATISLAVA - I have dismissed director of the Environmental Fund Peter Kalivoda, said Environment Minister Jan Budaj (OLaNO) at a press conference on Tuesday, adding that Timea Sujova will head the organisation on a temporary basis. The minister criticised the previous board of the Environment Fund for its lack of transparency in granting subsidies, speaking about political and party protectionism and pointing not only to the criminal level of activities for which the Environment Ministry filed criminal motions but also to the ethical side of the proceedings. BRATISLAVA - Junior governing party For the People vice-chair Juraj Seliga told TASR on Tuesday that he won't run for the chairmanship of his party, adding that he'll instead support the bid of MP Miroslav Kollar at a congress to be held this coming Saturday. Kollar's rival for the post is Veronika Remisova - another vice-chair of the party and investment, regional development and informatisation minister. Seliga - a vice-chairman of Parliament, who'll turn 30 next week - explained that he still needs to gain practical experience in politics, and he also wants to spend the next few months on efforts aimed at purifying the judiciary, prosecution service and police. BRATISLAVA - Members of Klub 500 (an association of companies with more than 500 employees) are concerned about the statements by Finance Minister Eduard Heger (OLaNO) to the address of their chairman Vladimir Sotak, Klub 500 said on Tuesday, adding that the Slovak industrial employers insist on the need to discuss with the Government the maintaining of employment in domestic factories. "It's shocking that instead of constructive feedback, we're receiving very serious public threats smelling of criminalisation and persecution," said Klub 500 vice-president Jozef Dusan Hric. Following Sotak's criticism of Prime Minister Igor Matovic (OLaNO) that he was hesitating to support jobs in Slovak companies, the finance minister in an interview with SME daily told the head of Klub 500 that "they can take a closer look at his company, they can look at his past and so on, and tell how credible this person is to evaluate such things". am