Prosecutor Balogh Describes Reasons for His Ouster as Diversionary and Unfounded

Bratislava, 21 November (TASR) - Zilina Regional Prosecutor Tomas Balogh at a meeting of the parliamentary defence and security committee on Thursday (20 November) described the reasons for his dismissal from office as diversionary and, moreover, factually and legally unfounded, TASR learnt from Balogh himself on Friday. The prosecutor said that he didn't participate in placing the order for furniture for which he was supposedly dismissed, and it isn't true that the funds for it weren't covered by the budget. The head of the Zilina prosecutor's office explained that the furniture wasn't due to be delivered until 2026 and 2027, so the purchase had nothing to do with the 2025 budget. Prosecutor-General Maros Zilinka stated that he dismissed Balogh from his post precisely because of the uncovered purchase of furniture. "In this regard, I'd just like to point out that the prosecutor-general first called on me to assume personal responsibility in connection with the criminal matters mentioned in my letter to the House committee on defence and security, which I refused to do due to the absence of relevant reasons. Shortly afterwards, the prosecutor-general again called on me to assume personal responsibility, but this time in connection with the ordering of furniture, while referring to his recent call for me to take personal responsibility in connection with the criminal matters in question," said Balogh, adding that the inspection was carried out by the Prosecutor-General's Office after the first call for his resignation. am/df