Village councillors in Vyšný Skálnik (Banská Bystrica region) are set to hold talks on dismissing their mayor Ján Durmis, who was caught drunk at the wheel by the police on June 8. Banská Bystrica Regional Court spokesperson Nina Spurná confirmed for TASR that a court found the mayor guilty of driving under the influence and that he has not filed an appeal.
Durmis was stopped by a police patrol as he drove through the village of Hrachovo, where a level of 2.10 parts of alcohol per thousand parts of blood was detected, where in Slovakia the limit is zero. “The court issued him with an €800 fine, and if he were to fail to pay the sum and/or purposefully obstruct the decision, a four-month jail sentence would also apply. Furthermore, the mayor has been banned from driving a motor vehicle for a period of 30 months”, said Spurná. Once the guilty sentence comes into effect, the mayor's mandate will be abrogated. According to Zoltán Rosa, director of internal administration of the District Office in Rimavská Sobota, the mayor is obliged to inform the village council about the court verdict without delay. “The sentenced mayor will step down in favour of his deputy, who will govern the village until the municipal elections in November, because extra elections aren't held six months before an election term expires”, added Rosa. When asked by TASR whether he'll relinquish his post, Durmis refused to answer. “Talk to my lawyer about it”, was his reply. A number of regional media that broke the news about the court verdict were contacted by the mayor's legal representative or an unknown caller. “Shortly after the news came out, a man called the editorial room from an unknown telephone number and failed to introduce himself. He claimed that if another story on the Vyšný Skálnik mayor is published, we'll meet in court. Then he hung up”, reported web site Rimava.sk.
