PG Zilinka Annuls "Unlawful Charge" against Pavol D. of 'Curillovci' Group

Bratislava, 7 July (TASR) - Prosecutor-General Maros Zilinka has annulled the charge of misuse of power filed against police officer Pavol D. from the so-called 'Curillovci' group [police officers who were investigating high-profile corruption cases and have faced suspension and criminal charges since 2023 - ed.note], citing a violation of the law to the detriment of the accused. Zilinka ordered an investigator of the Internal Affairs Inspectorate (UIS) to re-examine the case and issue a new decision, according to information provided to TASR by Jana Tokolyova, spokesperson for the Prosecutor-General's Office. "After reviewing the case, the prosecutor-general concluded that the decisions of the investigator and prosecutor, as well as the proceedings that preceded them, involved violations of the law detrimental to the accused — both in terms of procedural and substantive provisions. The significant breaches found in the actions and decisions of law-enforcement authorities resulted in a violation of the most fundamental principle of criminal proceedings, which has a constitutional basis — that a prosecution must only occur for legal reasons and in a lawful manner," the spokesperson explained. The prosecutor-general emphasised that interest in upholding the legality of criminal proceedings must always take precedence over any other interest - including the objective of fulfilling the purpose of the proceedings. Pavol D. was charged with abuse of power by an UIS investigator in July of last year. According to the investigation, he allegedly violated the constitutional right to personal liberty of Patrik V. mf/df