Zilinka Intends to Remain Prosecutor-General Until End of Term

Bratislava, 8 September (TASR) - Prosecutor-General Maros Zilinka intends to remain in his position until the end of his term. Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer-SD) is mistaken, Zilinka said at a press conference on Tuesday, in claiming that Zilinka is an obstacle to restoring trust in the rule of law. The chief prosecutor added that he has faced a long-standing effort to seize control of the Prosecutor General's Office and its bodies. "Today we witnessed completely shameless pressure and a call for the prosecutor-general to resign from those who have a vested interest in how certain criminal cases are handled, and who have a particular idea how justice should be administered, an idea with which I will never identify," Zilinka said. Zilinka said he has not attacked the prime minister, any politician or the current coalition, but has always responded to their attacks with facts and statistical data. "I have always tried, and have always approached the exercise of my office, in an apolitical and impartial manner, in accordance with the Constitution and the law. I have never allowed myself to be influenced by politicians' interests," the head of the prosecution service said. The prime minister referred to several specific cases and spoke of an opposition-style approach and the prosecutor-general's overactivity. Zilinka rejected the statements. "It is simply an approach that you, Prime Minister, some politicians and some voters do not like. It does not correspond to your ideas, nor to the political promises you made during election campaigns," he noted. Zilinka added that he will never fulfil their expectations and promises if they are not in accordance with the Constitution and the laws of the Slovak Republic. According to the prosecutor-general, the prime minister is mistaken if he believes that his public statements will bring about a change or influence the Prosecutor-General's Office's approach to criminal cases. Zilinka also responded to Fico's statement that nobody at the Prosecutor-General's Office has condemned or commented on what happened between 2020 and 2023 [when nominees of Smer-SD were convicted for corruption-ed.note]. The prosecutor-general and prosecutors are not there, emphasised Zilinka, to comment on social developments or condemn them. "We are here to make decisions. That's what we have always done, what we are doing and what we will continue to do," he said. According to the prosecutor-general, there are legal procedures and bodies with their own powers and responsibilities to deal with everything. "That's not what the prime minister's calls, by which he incites his voters, are for. Is that your idea of the administration of justice? Is that your idea of the rule of law? Well, that is a perverse idea. I will never submit to it," Zilinka underlined. He also pointed out that he became a candidate for prosecutor-general through his election by Parliament, where he received 132 votes. Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Robert Fico called on Prosecutor-General Maros Zilinka to resign. Fico said he planned to create pressure through evidence and arguments that would force Zilinka to consider whether it was appropriate for him to remain at the head of the prosecution service. According to Fico, developments at the prosecution service have been influenced by the fact that Zilinka is a nominee of the current opposition. mf/mcs