On Thursday, Parliament convened at the extraordinary session, initiated by Smer-SD, to hold the law enforcement liable over alleged missteps in the prosecution of corruption cases.
Opposition Smer-SD chair Robert Fico rejected any notion that he had convened an extraordinary parliamentary session on Thursday to intimidate law enforcement. Fico spoke in response to claims by the coalition Freedom and Solidarity party, according to which Smer-SD intends to intimidate the law enforcement and undermine the rule of law in an effort to stop the criminal prosecutions in cases involving former Smer-SD nominees and Fico himself.
The Smer-SD chair submitted a resolution that would condemn the misuse of the criminal law institutions by a group of a select few police officers and investigators of the National Criminal Agency (NAKA), prosecutors and judges, who intend to interfere in the free competition between political parties. The resolution would also ask Prosecutor-General Maros Zilinka to look into the lawfulness of the law enforcement activities. Fico referred to a report by the Slovak Intelligence Service (SIS), which he believed confirms the existence of an organised group of investigators, prosecutors and judges who fabricate evidence and misuse the criminal law to political ends. "We in the opposition have no doubts that the criminal law in Slovakia is being misused," said Fico.
Coalition MP Juraj Seliga rejects the narrative floated by the Smer-SD party and its leader, according to which Slovakia has ceased to be governed by the rule of law. During an extraordinary parliamentary session, Seliga accused Fico of painting a false misrepresentation of reality, as if all current corruption cases were politically motivated. He called the resolution misleading and voiced hope it would be turned down by parliament.
Seliga took potshots at what he sees as Fico's manipulative rhetoric, claiming that Fico only reads certain excerpts from testimonies and recordings, but fails to mention other important facts, such as confessions by several defendants. Seliga does not deny that the police and the prosecutor's office might have committed procedural mistakes, but emphasised that any statement that the government manipulates investigations is a lie. He pointed out that the investigators and judges criticised by Fico have been in their posts for years, even under his cabinet, as were the collaborating defendants whose testimonies the Smer-SD impugns today as allegedly treacherous and false. Seliga asked what would the Smer-SD do after the election, if it managed to claim power. He fears Smer-SD would dissolve the Specialised Criminal Court and the Special Prosecutor's Office. "What you plan to do after the election, that is the disintegration of the rule of law you talk about," he said.
In response, Fico said that he does not plan to scrap either the Special Prosecutor's Office or the Specialised Criminal Court. He only takes objection to some individuals in specific posts, such as Daniel Lipsic as the Special Prosecutor.
Source: TASR
