Prosecutor Seeks Annulment of Personnel Orders against Police Officers (2)

Bratislava, 25 February (TASR) - A prosecutor from the Prosecutor-General's Office has joined 24 proceedings conducted at the Administrative Courts in Bratislava and Banska Bystrica in cases of administrative lawsuits involving personnel orders issued against police officers without the consent of the Whistleblowers Protection Office (UOO), Prosecutor-General Maros Zilinka posted this on a social network on Wednesday, adding that the prosecutor has also proposed that the courts should annul the personnel orders as unlawful. Zilinka wrote that "the prosecutor also submitted opinions to the courts regarding the administrative lawsuits along with a proposal to annul the personnel orders on grounds of their unlawfulness". In his response provided ahead of the government's session on Wednesday, Interior Minister Matus Sutaj Estok (Voice-SD) said he views this as confirmation that Zilinka is standing on the side of police officers. "It's a surprise to me, but we'll act accordingly," said Sutaj Estok. Defence attorney Peter Kubina welcomed the prosecutor's office decision. Posting on social media, Kubina said the move relates to administrative lawsuits filed over the past two years on behalf of police officers who he claims were unlawfully sidelined. According to him, the cases concern officers from the former National Crime Agency (NAKA) and the Internal Affairs Inspectorate. Kubina added that Interior Minister Matus Sutaj Estok had decided to "carry out his political revenge regardless of the law and the facts merely because these police officers properly performed their duties, which is gradually being confirmed by the courts". Justice Minister Boris Susko (Smer-SD) declared he respects the right of the Prosecutor-General's Office to enter the proceedings, but does not regard it as a common or standard step. Although he did not wish to speculate on the motives of the prosecutor-general, Susko admitted he was surprised. "It is interesting that after so many years during which he did not comment in this way, he has done so in this case, but that's a question that should be addressed to him," the minister said ahead of Wednesday's cabinet session. After taking up office in 2023, Sutaj Estok suspended several police officers, including those centred around investigator Jan Curilla, on suspicion that they had committed a crime. However, as the investigators had protected whistleblower status, the UOO said that the minister should have discussed this issue with the office in advance. NOTE: This story has been extended to include paragraphs 4-6 jrg/mf/mcs