Zilinka: District Office Upholds Prosecutor's Protests in Istrochem Case

Bratislava, 8 July (TASR) - Bratislava District Office has upheld the regional prosecutor's protests in the Istrochem case, Prosecutor-General Maros Zilinka stated on social media on Wednesday in connection with the obligation to clear up pollution at the site of the Istrochem chemicals plant, adding that the district office's decisions to discontinue proceedings on determining the party liable for the environmental damage have thus been annulled. "Bratislava District Office has upheld all three protests lodged against the decisions by a prosecutor of the Regional Prosecutor's Office in Bratislava," stated Zilinka, adding that the conduct of the prosecution service has demonstrated its "consistent protection of the public interest and the rights of the state". According to the Prosecutor-General's Office, all three protests were upheld by the district office on 3 July. They were filed by the Regional Prosecutor's Office in April, with copies also sent to Environment Minister Tomas Taraba (a Slovak National Party/SNS nominee), as it hasn't yet been proven that the legal conditions have been met for the state to take responsibility for the clean-up. The prosecutor's protests concerned the district office's decisions in 2025 to discontinue proceedings on determining the entity liable for environmental damage at three sites at the former chemicals plant now known as Istrochem. The plant was purchased in 2022 by a holding that, at that time, belonged to billionaire and incumbent Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis. Its current owner is a company known as Istrochem Reality. The cost of clearing up the environmental damage at Istrochem is estimated at €350-500 million. jrg/df