Zilinka: Press Conferences Not a Form of Reporting Suspected Crime

Bratislava, 20 September (TASR) - State authorities are required by law to immediately notify law enforcement bodies of any suspected criminal offences, Prosecutor-General Maros Zilinka posted on social media on Saturday, adding that press conferences are not among the forms of notification provided for by law. His statement came in response to a press conference held by Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer-SD) on Saturday, accusing opposition Progressive Slovakia leader Michal Simecka's mother Marta Simeckova of subsidy fraud. "State authorities must be aware that they are required to notify the law enforcement bodies of any facts suggesting that a crime has been committed, and they have to do so by means of one of the procedures provided for in the Criminal Procedure Code. A press conference is not included among these," Zilinka stressed, assuring that the prosecution service is aware of its legal obligations. He also reiterated that detection and investigation of criminal offences fall under the authority of the police. Fico claims that Simeckova, acting as a statutory representative of the non-profit organisation Project Forum, had committed subsidy fraud in connection with organising the international event Central European Forum in 2021. According to Fico, she applied for funding for the same project from three public institutions, submitted misleading information in applications, and had invoices reimbursed multiple times. At the press conference, Fico said he would not be submitting a criminal complaint himself. He added that the justice and culture ministries, which provided the subsidies, would seek the recovery of the funds. Furthermore, Fico claimed that the Prosecutor-General's Office must also act on the information he presented at the press conference. jrg