Former Prime Minister Vladimir Mečiar will not be prosecuted for misusing the powers of a public official related to his controversial amnesties in 1998, as the issue has lapsed, TASR reported on Thursday. "The issue has been dropped as lapsed," said Bratislava Regional Police Directorate spokesperson Lucia Mihaliková.
Parliament revoked the amnesties on April 5, with 129 politicians voting in favour. The decision was afterwards confirmed by the Constitutional Court as being lawful on the May 31.
The former prime minister will elude prosecution even though the Constitutional Court has declared that he indeed acted beyond the scope of his powers by issuing the amnesties. In their statement following the decision, the judges were concerned with the fact that Mečiar granted amnesties only one day after President Kováč left office. "It is obvious that the Prime Minister did not follow the request of remaining restrained in the case of granting amnesties while substituting for the president. On the contrary, he misused it in a radical way immediately after taking office," warned the constitutional judges in May. Following this ruling and statement, the prosecution began to investigate the case.
The amnesties relate to the kidnapping of then President Michal Kováč's son and the murder in 1996 of Róbert Remiáš, who served as a contact for a key witness of the abduction. The amnesties also concern a thwarted referendum of 1997. According to the law active in 1998, the misuse of the powers of public official could have meant up to ten years in prison.
