100% increase in Slovak cases at European Prosecutor's Office

At the end of last year, the European Public Prosecutor's Office was actively investigating 98 cases in Slovakia. This is a hundred percent increase compared to the previous year. The estimated damage to the European Union budget amounted to almost 682 million euros. This follows from the latest report on the activities of the European Public Prosecutor's Office. Representative of Slovakia in the European Public Prosecutor's Office Juraj Novocký: “In 2024, 69 new investigations were opened, more than three times more than the previous year, representing estimated damages of almost €230 million.”

As a result of legislative changes, the European Public Prosecutor's Office had to stop prosecutions in individual cases due to statute of limitations, especially in corruption cases. Organizational changes within the police - in particular the dissolution of National Criminal Agency (NAKA) and the establishment of the Office for the Fight against Organized Crime, which were associated with the departure of experienced investigators - had a negative impact on ongoing prosecutions last year - especially on the length of investigations.

"Regarding the organizational changes within the former National Crime Agency and the establishment of the Office for Combating Organized Crime, it is necessary to stabilize the personnel composition of the specialized bodies of the police force as soon as possible. Such a fact will also have a positive impact on the course and results of criminal proceedings," concluded Novocky.

Source: Slovak Radio