Former police chief Tibor Gašpar, who is running for a post of MP on a slate of Smer-SD in September General election and former police officer Roman Stahl have been released from custody. According to Gašpar’s lawyer Marek Para, the prosecutor disagreed with the opinion of an investigator, as he did not see reasons for their detention. "He is still charged. We filed a complaint and a prosecutor of the Special Prosecutor's Office will decide on it," said Para.
Both Gašpar and Stahl were detained on suspicion of corruption under Operation Ezekiel 7 in Nitra region on Friday. An investigator of the National Crime Agency filed a motion to take them into custody. Nitra-based oligarch Norbert Bödör who is in a family relation with Gašpar has been reportedly charged in the case as well.
Head of Smer-SD and former PM Robert Fico called the case a political vendetta, stating that "the dogs from the NAKA and the Office of the Special Prosecutor's Office" have dictatorial methods that even Pinochet would not be ashamed of. Fico accused President Zuzana Čaputová and Prime Minister Ľudovít Ódor, who, according to him, commissioned the police and the special prosecutor's office. Both the president and the prime minister denied his words.
In reaction to Fico’s statements, the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) commented the situation. “In a state governed by the rule of law, it is common for the prosecutor to disagree with the investigator's legal opinion on the existence of grounds for detention. However, personal aggressive attacks on investigators, prosecutors and judges who do not rule as they wish are unacceptable,” reads the rection of the Office.
According to head of Progresívne Slovensko Michal Šimečka, Fico is happy about the case. “That is exactly why he put together a slate of people with suspected criminal backgrounds so that he could shout about prosecuting the opposition before the elections,” said Šimečka. “On the contrary, we should be happy that the police are not intimidated and act freely," concluded the head of Progresívne Slovensko.
Sme rodina party head and Speaker of Parliament Boris Kollár stated that the case helps the Smer-SD party. "If I wanted to help Smer-SD in the polls, I wouldn't do it any other way," stated Kollár.
Source: TASR
