Hamran: Investigator Durka Certainly Wasn't Instructing Peter P. How to Testify

Bratislava, September 18 (TASR) - Police chief Stefan Hamran rejects Friday's (September 15) accusations of Smer-SD, according to which investigator Pavol Durka, assigned to high-profile corruption cases involving Smer-SD nominees, instructed cooperating defendant Peter P. [name abbreviated due to legal reasons] how to testify, TASR learnt on Monday. Smer-SD was referring to a recorded conversation between Durka and Peter P., dated from September 2023. Hamran pointed out that both the conversation and interrogation actually took place in June 2023, when Durka was still with the National Criminal Agency (NAKA). The police chief added that the conversation was taken out of context, as Durka was only explaining to Peter P. the subject of testimony and not how to testify. At its press conference, Smer-SD showed also a resolution that led to the apprehension of former head of Slovak Intelligence Service (SIS) Michal Alac and many others. Durka's signature is on the resolution, which, in Smer-SD chair Robert Fico's view, proves that Durka was involved in the apprehension. In his response, Hamran pointed out that criminal prosecution in cases concerning the secret service and the National Security Authority (NBU) began in 2021 and 2022, and hence the resolution to launch criminal prosecution dated from June 2023 had nothing to do with it. The decision to launch criminal prosecution, issued by Durka, was concerning a suspicion that key witnesses were receiving bribes. "This was a case where there was information indicating that some key witnesses might have been bribed to retract their witness testimonies... and essentially manipulate the course of criminal proceedings," explained Hamran. mf