Defence of NBS Governor Peter K. Calls for His Acquittal

Pezinok, 23 May (TASR) - The defence of Slovak central bank governor Peter K. has called for his full acquittal, arguing before the Specialised Criminal Court in Pezinok (Bratislava region) that the indictment is based solely on the testimony of a single key witness - former head of Financial Administration Frantisek Imrecze, unsupported by other evidence and contradicted by two other witnesses. At the same time, the defence claimed that the alleged offence has come under the statute of limitations. "The accusation is a lie. It's merely a fabrication by Frantisek Imrecze. No witness has confirmed his claims," said Peter K.'s attorney Ondrej Mularcik. According to the prosecution, Peter K., when he was finance minister, asked former head of Financial Administration Frantisek Imrecze to make sure the VAT refunds worth a total of €3 million were paid to several selected firms in advance, giving Imcrecze a bribe of €48,000 in exchange for this. Peter K. insists on his innocence, claiming that he's never given a bribe to anyone and views the prosecution as unlawful. This is the second charge of bribery that the NBS governor has faced, with the first charges pressed in the autumn of 2022 and cancelled by the Prosecutor-General's Office. In April 2023, a Specialised Criminal Court judge found Peter K. guilty of bribery and fined him €100,000. As both the prosecutor and the defendant appealed against the verdict, the case has proceeded to the current trial. lin/df