Remisova: Prosecution Launched Over Apprehension of Prosecutor Michal S.

Bratislava, 24 March (TASR) – A prosecutor of the Prosecutor-General's Office (PG) has launched criminal prosecution on suspicion of misuse of power by a public official, following a criminal complaint filed by representatives of the 'For the People' party over the apprehension of prosecutor Michal S. [name abbreviated due to legal reasons] during the operation Cooperating Defendant, MP Veronika Remisova ('Slovakia'–For the People) declared at a press conference on Tuesday. According to Remisova, there is serious suspicion that the apprehension of Michal S. took place without legal grounds or even in violation of the law. "The governing coalition has for several years been trying to take revenge on police officers and prosecutors who investigated sensitive, politically sensitive cases, including corruption at the highest levels. It is therefore extremely important that the prosecution thoroughly examine all suspicions of unlawful conduct by the police. Moreover, in this particular case we also pointed to suspicions of a politically-motivated action," Remisova said. She added that she had also raised these concerns with European Commissioner for Democracy, Justice, the Rule of Law and Consumer Protection Michael McGrath during his visit to Slovakia. According to 'For the People' vice-chair Jan Magusin, it is unclear whether the Internal Affairs Inspectorate (UIS) had a written court order to intervene in the building of the Prosecutor-General's Office during the apprehension of Michal S. "To this day it is not clear whether they had such an order, and it is increasingly apparent that they probably did not possess one, which would constitute a gross violation of the law, because they could only enter the building on the basis of such an order, or they would have had to be allowed in by the head of the Prosecutor-General's Office, Mr. Maros Zilinka," Magusin said. In his view, it is evident that Zilinka did not allow the police inspection to enter the building, as the PG has initiated criminal proceedings in the matter. "I assume the prosecution is putting its house in order, because such an intervention directly on the premises of the Prosecutor-General's Office without legal grounds represents a direct attack on one of the most important foundations of the protection of the rule of law in Slovakia, which the Prosecutor-General's Office is under the Constitution," Magusin added. As part of the Cooperating Defendant operation, the police inspection in early March detained and charged four current and two former police officers and one prosecutor. mf