PM Fico: Prosecution Service Entering Political Struggle, Siding With Opposition

Bratislava, 5 February (TASR) – Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer-SD) has said that the prosecution service has joined the political struggle side by side with the opposition, claiming that the head of the Regional Prosecutor's Office is trying to show the opposition that he's a suitable candidate to become the next prosecutor-general. Fico stated this in a video posted on social media in response to information presented on Thursday by Bratislava Region Prosecutor Rastislav Remeta on investigations into aid to Ukraine. In the video, the prime minister also linked Remeta's press conference to Wednesday's (4 February) press conference by Prosecutor-General Maros Zilinka. "The Slovak government doesn't hold press conferences on the activities of the prosecution service, so it's strange that over the past two days the prosecution service has held two political press conferences about the activities of the Slovak government. Today's press conference by the Bratislava Region Prosecutor, Mr Remeta, gives a clear answer to the question why the Prosecutor-General, Mr Zilinka, has publicly and politically attacked the Slovak government," said Fico. He reiterated that the public has criticised the coalition for not having done enough to remedy what he described as a "terrible abuse of the law for political purposes". He added that dozens of criminal complaints have been filed. "We've been informed by the regional prosecutor today about how they are being handled," said Fico. The prime minister also believes that the MiG-29 fighter jets concerned in one case did fully protect Slovakia's airspace. According to him, the donated aircraft, including the S-300 air defence system, were deployed "immediately" in Ukraine, which means they couldn't have been non-functional. Fico added in the video that the prosecution service found it completely sufficient that representatives of the previous government told them that they had acted in line with the law. Remeta announced at a press conference earlier on Thursday that the law-enforcement authorities have halted criminal proceedings in three out of four cases in connection with aid provided to Ukraine under the previous government, with these involving the donation of MiG-29 fighter jets and the S-300 air defence system, as well as the termination of a contract with a Russian company providing maintenance for the fighters. An investigation into the handover of technical documentation to Ukraine's military attache is still ongoing. Remeta also added that two additional criminal complaints were registered last week with the Regional Prosecutor's Office in Bratislava in connection with aid to Ukraine. jrg/df