Trial Begins for Lawyer Accused of Indirect Corruption

Banska Bystrica, 24 July (TASR) – The Specialised Criminal Court in Banska Bystrica opened proceedings on Thursday against lawyer Frantisek P. [name abbreviated due to legal reasons], who is charged with indirect corruption. According to the indictment, the alleged offence took place at the end of 2018 and is related to securing the release of individuals held in custody. Frantisek P. reportedly claimed that he could secure the release of two brothers from pre-trial detention in exchange for a bribe of €200,000. The money was allegedly intended "for the right people." Frantisek P. has denied the charges, calling the indictment unfounded and fabricated. He labelled the entire case nonsensical and politically motivated, noting that proceedings only began 4.5 years after the alleged incident. "I feel absolutely innocent," he declared before the presiding judge, claiming that his prosecution is a retaliatory move by certain police officers. Frantisek P. was arrested in the summer of 2023 as part of a police operation codenamed Corrumpere 1. In the past, he represented several high-profile clients, including former Banska Bystrica underworld boss Mikulas Cernak. In June of this year Frantisek P. was convicted by the Supreme Court in a separate case known as Babylon, in which he was charged alongside former Slovak Intelligence Service (SIS) director Lubomir Arpas. He received a two-year suspended sentence with a five-year probation period for indirect corruption. mf/df