Slovak diplomat and now former adviser to Prime Minister Robert Fico (SMER-SD), Miroslav Lajčák, has publicly distanced himself from the actions of Jeffrey Epstein, following the release of new documents in the United States. Lajčák admitted that communicating with Epstein was a mistake. He said the contact involved only an exchange of words, not actions. He added there was no political cooperation and no involvement in any activities linked to Epstein, saying he had only sought general information about American politics.
However, this is not the only connection between Epstein and Slovakia. After more than three million additional pages related to the case of the late financier and convicted sex offender were released, the leader of the opposition PS party, Michal Šimečka, said Prime Minister Robert Fico owed the public answers and should clarify whether he had personally met Epstein and confirm or deny such a meeting. Šimečka also said Fico should explain whether he had met former adviser to U.S. President Donald Trump, Steve Bannon, as suggested in the documents.
Over the weekend, SNS party leader and coalition partner, Andrej Danko, called for Slovak law enforcement authorities to investigate the communication. He claimed that Slovakia was mentioned hundreds of times in the documents and that they refer to alleged financial transfers, customs declarations and movable property linked to individuals in Slovakia.
However, legal expert Tomáš Strémy from the Faculty of Law at Comenius University in Bratislava urged caution. According to him the mere mention of names or communication is not sufficient grounds to launch criminal proceedings, adding that the issue currently appears political or reputational rather than criminal.
On Saturday, Prime Minister Robert Fico accepted Miroslav Lajčák’s resignation as adviser. Lajčák stepped down because of his past communication with Epstein. Fico said that by resigning, Lajčák had shown the qualities of a seasoned diplomat.
Source: STVR
