SaS Slams President Pellegrini for Signing Criminal Code Amendment

Bratislava, 23 December (TASR) - The opposition's Freedom and Solidarity (SaS) party sharply criticised the decision of President Peter Pellegrini to sign an amendment to the Criminal Code, as, according to the party, the amendment will fundamentally weaken the fight against organised crime and corruption, TASR was told by SaS spokesman Ondrej Sprlak on Tuesday. By taking this step, SaS says, the president has knowingly sided with those for whom the new legislation was tailor-made. The party has also announced it will file a motion with the Constitutional Court. According to party leader Branislav Groehling, by signing the bill the president has placed himself among its co-authors. "With this signature, Peter Pellegrini became part of the "mafia night" when the ruling coalition in Parliament passed laws tailored to the accused, corrupt figures and people linked to the mafia. He had a chance to stop the opening of the gates to organised crime, but instead the president personally opened them. This is not an exemplary performance by an independent head of state, this is co-responsibility," he said. SaS vice-chair Maria Kolikova described the signing of the bill into law as a fundamental failure by the president. "The president failed in his role when he signed a bill that opens Slovakia to the mafia. This law helps Tibor Gaspar, who should have stood trial long ago, and helps other corrupt figures and mafia members against whom the institute of the cooperating accused was used as a crucial tool. If this law remains in force, we might as well delete this institute from criminal proceedings altogether," she noted. SaS also announced that together with other opposition MPs it will submit a motion to the Constitutional Court. "We will seek a suspension of the effectiveness of this law and its rejection. Now it will be up to the Constitutional Court to protect the rule of law where the head of state has failed," Kolikova concluded. President Peter Pellegrini has signed the amendment to the Criminal Code. He claims that full responsibility for the wording of the amendment and for this decision lies with the government that agreed to such a proposal and the parliamentary majority that approved it. mf