Prosecutor-General's office scraps charges against former Prime Minister

The Prosecutor-General's Office (PG) has used the infamous paragraph 363 to annul the charges against head of the opposition Smer-SD party Robert Fico and three other people in the 'Twilight' case, Prosecutor-General Maros Zilinka announced on Tuesday. The reason given for the move is violations of provisions of the Criminal Code.
First deputy general prosecutor Jozef Kandera decided on the proposals of the accused on behalf of the prosecutor general. Zilinka explained that the first deputy scrapped the charges against the four defendants, as well as the resolution to initiate criminal prosecution for the crime of setting up, masterminding and supporting a criminal group. "Basic things are absent, such as the basic definition of the period and place in which and on which accused R.F. and R.K. allegedly formed a criminal group," said Kandera, adding that the period when these persons were allegedly in the group as its members wasn't defined either. According to him, other features that a criminal group must meet are also missing.
Robert Fico and former interior minister Robert Kalinak were charged under the National Crime Agency's Operation Twilight with setting up, masterminding and supporting a criminal group while in office, misusing their powers and disclosing someone else's confidential tax information. Others charged in the case included ex-police chief Tibor G. and Nitra-based oligarch Norbert B.