Specialised Court Halts Parts of Purgatory Case Over Statute of Limitations

Bratislava/Banska Bystrica, 21 October (TASR) - The Specialised Criminal Court (STS), sitting in Banska Bystrica, on Wednesday halted criminal proceedings on some charges in the Purgatory case because the offences were time-barred. STS spokesperson Iveta Pulman Erdelyiova confirmed to TASR on the same day. The decision concerns two alleged offences involving Nitra businessman Norbert B. [name abbreviated due to legal reasons], one involving House vice-chair Tibor G. and four involving Robert K., a former senior official at the now-defunct National Criminal Agency (NAKA). The ruling is not yet final. "The STS halted criminal proceedings on grounds of the statute of limitations in the case of defendant N. B. on counts five and seven of the indictment; in the case of defendant T. G. on count seven; and in the case of R. K. on counts two, three, four and six of the indictment in these criminal proceedings," the spokesperson said. The prosecutor waived the right to appeal. The defendants have retained the statutory period in which to respond, meaning the ruling has not yet become final. A total of 11 people are on trial in the Purgatory case, which originally covered 20 alleged offences. The court halted the proceedings following a motion by the prosecution. The defendants have reserved their right to respond within the legal deadline and are expected to state their positions at the next hearing. The trial began in June and concerns allegations that a criminal group was established and operated within the upper ranks of the police and security services between 2012 and 2018, when Tibor G. served as president of the Police Corps. mf