The Specialised Criminal Court handed down suspended three-year sentences with a five-year probation to two former Financial Administration employees, Kornélia Černá and Denisa Židová for accepting bribes. Both deny their guilt and filed an appeal against the verdict.
"The prosecutor has unequivocally convinced the court that events transpired in the way as outlined in the indictment," stated judge Milan Cisárik. Aside from indirect evidence, the only direct evidence is the testimony from Financial Administration former head Frantisek Imrecze, which the court accepted as trustworthy. The judge discovered no inappropriate benefits provided to the witness by law enforcement in exchange for his testimony.
According to the indictment, the former director of Financial Administration Legal Services department Židová accepted a bribe of €30,000 from then-outgoing Financial Administration head Frantisek Imrecze in 2018. "She directly controlled the pace at which contracts, or more precisely their addendums with a firm called Allexis, were signed," said the judge.
Aside from the suspended sentence, Židová received a fine of €45,000. If she fails to pay it, she will go to jail for two years. She must also take part in a re-education programme on anti-corruption behaviour.
Former Financial Administration Economy Department general director Černá supposedly received a bribe of €20,000 to grant the Allexis contract an exemption from the Public Procurement Act. Černá also received a fine of €30,000 and if she fails to pay it, she will go to jail for eighteen months.
Both former employees have been banned from serving in any public administration organisation for the next five years.
The two women were charged in summer 2021 as part of the Toll Collector III operation. Also charged with them was former head of Financial Administration Lenka Wittenbergerová, who pleaded guilty to accepting a bribe of €50,000 and received a suspended sentence.
Source: TASR
