Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico criticized a judge for ruling the country's central bank's governor in corruption case.
Responding to the conviction of his former Finance Minister Petr Kazimir, the combative prime minister suggested on Friday that the verdict was politically motivated and that specialized criminal court judge Milan Cisarik should be investigated for criminal conduct.
Since returning to power in 2023, FICO has demolished police and prosecutor departments to investigate corruption in the previous years of rule between 2012 and 2020.
Kazimir was found guilty on Thursday and was fined 200,000 euros ($226,500) while serving as finance minister in the former FICO government. He claimed the long-term charges were made, he denied any misconduct and said he planned to appeal.
"The judge's decision raised the question whether the political goals of the opposition in the ruling party should be met, because even students in law schools must see deadly nonsense in the judgment," the Slovak leader said on Thursday.
“I can’t get rid of the feeling that it makes sense to think that the judge committed multiple crimes and the measures that the ruling should have taken.”
The court did not respond to FICO's comments. "It can also be seen as indirect political pressure on the judiciary through public statements by members of government," the NGO warned.
revenge
FICO fell into depravity in 2020 after the scandal of investigative journalist Jan Kuciak, who was assassinated in 2018. The new government has set up special forces to investigate suspicious corruption networks surrounding the former prime minister and his internal circles.
FICOs often complain that these measures are politically motivated. After returning to power at the end of 2023, he immediately began to tear up the units and amend the criminal law to reduce the punishment for corruption.
Critics accuse him of obsessed with his circle of obsession with revenge for those involved in the investigation.
Kazimir was the first to be tried by the former FICO minister when he first faced the court in April 2023, which bribed the head of the National Tax Office ($54,360) in 2017-18, related to audits by numerous private companies.
His term as head of the Slovak State Bank will end on June 1, but he will continue until the appointment of a replacement.