PG Zilinka Lodges Protest with Ministry over Failure to Comply with Info Request

Bratislava, 8 July (TASR) - Prosecutor-General Maros Zilinka has filed a protest in the case of the Interior Ministry's decision to partially refuse a request for a list of passengers on a government aircraft flight to Germany in June of last year, said spokesperson for the Prosecutor-General's Office Jana Tokolyova on Tuesday, adding that according to Zilinka, the Interior Ministry didn't carry out a proportionality test. "The prosecutor-general is of the opinion that the decisions of the administrative authorities acting on the information request were arbitrary because they don't provide a clear and convincing answer regarding how they dealt with a conflict of two constitutional rights, namely the right to protection of personal data versus the right to information," said the spokeswoman. Tokolyova added that Zilinka believes that the public has the right to information on whether public funds are used legally and effectively, suggesting that the decision not to disclose the information should be overturned and that the appeal procedure should be decided in accordance with the law. Opposition parties criticised coalition politicians in June 2024 for flying on a government aircraft to Germany for a football match played by the Slovak national team at the European Championship. The Interior Ministry said at the time that the visit to the match was made on the basis of an official invitation from both the Slovak Football Association and UEFA to representatives of the government and parliament. The ministry stated that it was not a leisure activity for the constitutional officials. am/df