Fico: Further Charges against Smer Representatives in Works

Bratislava, June 23 (TASR) - Head of Smer-SD Robert Fico claimed at a press conference on Thursday that the authorities are preparing to press further charges against Smer representatives. "The word is that further charges are being prepared and that they want lock us up again," said Fico, referring to the recent charges that have been pressed against him and ex-interior minister Robert Kalinak as well as attempts to remand both of them in custody. On this note, Fico said that the criminal proceedings against him, but only those exclusively, are manipulated, claiming that National Crime Agency (NAKA) officers and prosecutors of the Special Prosecutor's Office (USP) work based on political orders. In regards to the charges that have been pressed against him and Kalinak, Fico stressed that he has filed a number of various complaints and motions, including with the Prosecutor-General's Office and the European Court of Human Rights. Meanwhile, Kalinak claimed at the press conference that the overseeing prosecutor in the case is overlooking antedating of individual documents, pointing to several discrepancies. In Fico's opinion, there's a number of cases that are being illegally manipulated. "The Special Prosecutor's Office is demonstrably managed by a politician, an individual who is beholden to [OLaNO leader and Finance Minister] Igor Matovic," he said, claiming that the authorities have instructions to criminalise Smer-SD and imprison opposition representatives. zel/mcs