Susko: Amendment to Criminal Code Ushers in Common Sense

Bratislava, 12 December (TASR) - The approved amendment to the Criminal Code, which modifies also the status of cooperating defendants, doesn't bring any revolution, only common sense and legal logic, according to Justice Minister Boris Susko (Smer-SD). "Nothing dramatic is changing and the principles of justice will stay preserved," Susko assured the public in his social media post with respect to the amendment, approved in a fast-track procedure. The Justice Minister underlined that the institute of cooperating defendant hasn't been scrapped, the fight against corruption hasn't been undermined and investigations won't collapse, it's only the quality of evidence and trustworthiness of court decisions that will be bolstered instead. "The amendment introduces only a single, exceptionally logical and necessary rule: if it's proven that a cooperating defendant lied in a different criminal case, for instance lied as a witness about some significant circumstance, then his or her testimony cannot be used. It doesn't rule out the use of that testimony completely, though. Just as before, it is exclusively up to courts to decide whether it was a lie or omittance of important circumstances. In other words, to determine whether such a cooperating defendant is trustworthy," said Susko. He touched also on the Thursday's vote on the amendment in Parliament, sharply condemning the verbal and physical attacks committed by MPs. At the same time, he criticised what he called the opposition's double standards. "I am dismayed by the silence of the female MPs from Progressive Slovakia and Freedom and Solidarity when gross verbal and physical attacks occurred against fellow female MPs from Smer-SD and Voice-SD. PS is always very sensitive when it comes to women. Yet yesterday they showed their true face, because when it comes to women, they are interested exclusively in those who hold the only correct view — their progressive one," he stated. mf