Entrepreneur sentenced to prison for tax evasion

Entrepreneur Ladislav Bašternák has been sentenced to five years in a minimum security prison for tax fraud. The sentence was handed down on Thursday by a three-member senate of the Regional Court of Appeal in Bratislava, confirming a previous verdict issued last year by the Bratislava II District Court. The appeal court's verdict is final and cannot be contested. The five-year sentence is lower than the usual seven to twelve years for this kind of crime, in light of the fact that Bašternák pleaded guilty and had no previous criminal record. The tax fraud concerned VAT payouts amounting to almost €2 million to his company BL 202 in connection with the purchase of flats in the Five Star Residence complex in Bratislava. Bašternák is well known for his association with high-profile Slovak politicians, including former prime minister Robert Fico, who resides in one of Bašternák's flats.