PM Fico Calls on Prosecutor-General Maros Zilinka to Resign

Bratislava, 8 September (TASR) - Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer-SD) has called on Prosecutor-General Maros Zilinka to resign from his post, and wants to create pressure through evidence and arguments that would force Zilinka to consider whether it is appropriate for him to remain at the head of the prosecution service. Speaking at a press conference, Fico claimed that developments within the prosecution service are influenced by the fact that Zilinka is a nominee of the current opposition. The Smer-SD party considers Zilinka an obstacle to restoring public trust in the rule of law. "Zilinka should resign from his post because of failures and his inability to fulfil the duties of prosecutor-general. By remaining in office, he will create the conditions for the preparation and approval of a comprehensive reform of the prosecution service," Fico said, adding that Smer is aware that the law does not allow it to initiate Zilinka's removal. Fico said that during Zilinka's tenure as prosecutor-general in the period of 2020 to 2023, when, according to Fico, human rights were being trampled on and criminal law was being misused against representatives of Smer and people close to the party [who faced criminal prosecutions over corruption-ed.note], Zilinka neither condemned nor commented on the failures of the then-governing coalition and law enforcement authorities. By comparison, Fico noted that Zilinka currently publishes critical positions on "two traffic cameras in trial operation". "Quite simply, we in Smer believe that the prosecutor-general's entire tenure since taking office has been markedly opposition-oriented," the prime minister stated. According to Fico, his "patience has run out" in the case of former Slovak Intelligence Service director Vladimir Pcolinsky. "Zilinka tolerates prosecutors such as Mr. (Peter) Kysel and (Daniel) Lipsic at the Office of the Prosecutor-General who not only failed in the Pcolinsky case, but knowingly violated every law that existed," he said. The prime minister also claims that Zilinka is going beyond what is necessary in prosecuting people nominated by Smer to important positions and their relatives, as well as putting pressure on subordinate prosecutors. He pointed out that Zilinka had refused to release prosecutors from the Regional Prosecutor's Office in Zilina from their duty of confidentiality after they spoke about pressure from the leadership of the Office of the Prosecutor-General. Fico also sees the prosecutor-general and his office as failing in investigations and prosecutions concerning the donation of military material to Ukraine and fraud involving the financing of mobile testing sites. mf/mcs