Slovakia’s central financial institution chief fined for bribery, faces trial

BRATISLAVA, Slovakia — The head of Slovakia’s central financial institution, who’s a member of the European Central Bank committee that decides financial coverage for 20 nations, was convicted Thursday of bribery and fined $110,000.

The nation’s Special Criminal Court handed National Bank of Slovakia Gov. Peter Kazimir a two-year suspended sentence, stated Katarina Kudjakova, a spokesperson for the courtroom. Not paying the wonderful would imply jail time.

The verdict was issued and not using a trial, nevertheless, and the state prosecution service appealed it shortly afterward, sending the case again to courtroom. Kazimir additionally might attraction.

Kazimir is accused of handing a bribe of $53,000 to the pinnacle of the nation’s tax workplace associated to a tax investigation of personal firms, however few particulars had been out there as a result of there was no trial.

Kazimir didn’t instantly remark, however he beforehand denied any wrongdoing.

President Zuzana Caputova stated Kazimir ought to contemplate resigning, and Prime Minister Eduard Heger referred to as it “unacceptable” for him to go the central financial institution.

Slovakia is considered one of 20 nations that use the euro foreign money, and Kazimir is a member of the European Central Bank’s governing council, its predominant decision-making physique. The ECB stated it had no remark.

The case dates to when Kazimir served as finance minister from 2012 to 2019 within the leftist authorities of populist Prime Minister Robert Fico and was a member of Fico’s Smer-Social Democracy get together earlier than taking on his central financial institution job.

Smer misplaced the 2020 basic election and was changed by a coalition authorities whose events campaigned on an anti-corruption ticket.

The new authorities made combating corruption a key coverage subject. Since it took energy, a variety of senior officers, cops, judges, prosecutors, politicians and businesspeople have been charged with corruption and different crimes.