BRATISLAVA – Criminal code reform and the abolition of Slovakia's anti-corruption agency have slowed investigations and even stopped prosecutions entirely, Slovak European Public Prosecutor Juraj Novocki said.
“Organisational changes within the police, in particular the dissolution of the former National Crime Agency and the creation of the Organised Crime Directorate, coupled with the departure of a number of experienced and capable investigators, have had a negative impact on the progress of individual investigations in the past year, particularly their duration,” says Nowocki.
The European Commission has expressed concern that reforms carried out by Robert Fico's government could jeopardize its financial interests. Under threat of European money being cut off, the Slovak government has been forced to make amendments several times.
The result, according to Nowocki, is that the EPPO can operate in Slovakia to the greatest possible extent, comparable to other member states. “On the other hand, as a result of legislative changes, we had to stop prosecution in individual cases due to the statute of limitations, especially in cases of corruption,” says Nowocki.
Nowocki's comments came as the European Public Prosecutor's Office (EPPO) published its annual report for 2024. The figures for Slovakia show 98 active investigations and 11 concluded with indictment, discontinuance, transfer or simplified procedure.
The Slovak branch of the EPPO has six European delegated prosecutors, which he considers insufficient. In addition, he has not been provided with a single specialised investigator.
“It is necessary to stabilize the personnel of specialized police agencies as soon as possible, which will also have a positive impact on the course and results of criminal proceedings,” Novotsky added.
In a statement to EURACTIV Slovakia, the Slovak Ministry of the Interior defended the changes, saying they were made “for the purpose of economical and efficient use of public funds.”
“The goal was to improve management efficiency, which was reflected in the reduction in the number of management personnel,” the ministry’s press service reported.
In October, the Commission gave the green light to the disbursement of an 800 million euro recovery fund to Slovakia, which had been delayed due to rule of law concerns. While a Commission spokesman said the amendments adopted by the Slovak government had “partially alleviated” some of its concerns, they acknowledged the need for clarification on “outstanding” issues. However, Fico presented it as a clear victory over what he sees as biased criticism of his government.
(Barbara Zmushkova | Euractiv.sk)
Source: euractiv.com
