Prosecutors Council: Criminal Proceedings Must Be Free of Political Pressure

Bratislava, 25 September (TASR) - The assessment of legality and grounds of the conduct and decision-making of prosecutors in specific criminal proceedings can be reviewed exclusively through procedural means established by law, chairman of the Prosecutors Council at the Prosecutor-General's (PG) Office Radovan Kajaba stated on Friday, stressing that public political pressure is not a means of achieving a change in the outcome of proceedings conducted by law enforcement bodies. "The only consequence of pressure from politicians is uncertainty in society and the weakening of the rule of law," he said, responding to remarks made by Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer-SD) and other coalition representatives who criticised the PG Office's review of decisions by the police and prosecution service in the case involving the donation of military equipment to Ukraine. The PG Office concluded on Thursday (24 September) that the decisions were correct and in accordance with the law. Fico described this as confirmation that Prosecutor-General Maros Zilinka is a "puppet in the hands of the opposition" and has done "dirty work for Ukraine". He also suggested possible legislative interventions in the functioning of the prosecution service. In response, Zilinka took to social media on Thursday and objected to both the form and content of Fico's remarks, describing them as inflammatory statements that could lead to a great tragedy. Earlier on Friday, the prime minister announced that the news conference he called for Friday morning would be held at a later date due to his work commitments. jrg/mcs