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Gorilla: Thousands of people protested against corruption

TASR
Feature Photo As many as 15,000 people attended the country's main rally in Bratislava as part of the Gorilla II Protest, a rally against what organizers called corruption in politics, on February 3, protest organiser Lucia Gallova told TASR newswire. The march, which begun on SNP Square, should have originally been wrapped up on Namestie Slobody near the Government Office, but it also moved further to the Presidential Palace. 4 Feb 2012 More Feature Photos
Sme - Tomáš Benedikovič
Spy boss can now talk about Gorilla SPY boss Karol Mitrík is now free to talk about – and possibly to shed more light on – Operation Gorilla, the name of an investigation that his agency, the Slovak Information Service (SIS), allegedly carried out into suspected high-level corruption in 2005-6. The so-called Gorilla file, an as-yet unverified document which purports to contain transcripts of conversations between ministers, officials and businesspeople covertly recorded as part of that operation, was leaked onto the internet in December and has dominated political debate in the lead up to the March 10 general election. On January 25, President Ivan Gašparovič released SIS head Mitrík from his oath of secrecy so that he can be interviewed by a special team of investigators looking into the file. 27 Jan 2012 Beata Balogová More from Politics & Society
Slovak man embroiled in internet piracy case A SLOVAK CITIZEN made it into international media headlines recently. The reason for his notoriety is his part in an alleged crime that could result in him being sent to prison for at least 25 years. In a case that could represent a significant milestone in the fight against internet piracy, Július Bencko has been charged, along with executives of the file-sharing website Megaupload.com, with what US authorities say was widespread infringement of copyrights via the internet. 30 Jan 2012 Radka Minarechová More from Business
SITA
Another anonymous document named “Sasanka” emerges ANOTHER anonymous document has emerged on the internet, this time featuring alleged transcripts of short text messages exchanged between Freedom and Solidarity (SaS) chairman Richard Sulík and businessman Marian Kočner under the title Sasanka, meaning Anemone in English. The alleged document appeared on the same web server as the Gorilla file, containing alleged wiretap transcripts showing high-level political corruption in 2005-6. Sulík confirmed on January 27 that he used to meet Kočner but said he does not remember the exact wording of the short messages they exchanged. 30 Jan 2012 Compiled by Spectator staff More from Politics & Society
TASR
Thousands join Gorilla protests VERY few anticipated that a Facebook-based initiative to protest what the organisers called high-level political corruption in Slovakia would grow into a mass rally that has caught the attention of the media as well as politicians. The success of the January 27 rally, dubbed Gorilla Protest, has led the organisers to demand that a number of politicians who are referred to – directly or indirectly – in the so-called Gorilla file exit public life. Organisers say a follow-up rally in Bratislava planned for February 3 could draw 10,000 protesters and that additional demonstrations are planned in other cities across Slovakia. 2 Feb 2012 By Peter Bagin More from Politics & Society
Courtesy of IOM Bratislava
Alert: human traffickers FALLING into a trap set by human traffickers changed his life. Július, a man in his fifties, accepted an opportunity to leave a region of Slovakia with high unemployment to earn some money abroad. Everything seemed to be all right, his future employer even drove him by car to Italy. Upon arrival, however, he was confronted with the reality that rather than the promised job on a construction site he was forced to beg and collect money for his captors. Having no place to sleep, living on the street in the same clothes with little food, and under permanent threat from his captors, Július suffered greatly until he was rescued by Slovak tourists who took him to a local police station. 30 Jan 2012 Lucia Kobelárová More from Politics & Society
Seeking patriotic buyers in Slovakia Campaigns encourage Slovaks to buy locally-made products THE SHARE of Slovak food products offered on the shelves of retail chains’ shops is about 50 percent, a smaller proportion than in many other countries, say several experts. They add that this particularly low share of domestic foodstuffs on retailers’ shelves has a negative impact on the Slovak economy by reducing employment and increasing the country’s dependence on imports. The declared preference of Slovak consumers for domestic products, even if they have higher prices, provides optimism that sales of domestically-produced goods could increase. Producers and retailers, as well as the government, hope that various promotional and educational campaigns will help make that happen. 30 Jan 2012 Jana Liptáková More from Other
Easy targets of campaigning EDITORIAL THE CAMPAIGN machines of the parties are now marching across the country, hoping to win the support of anyone still willing to listen to any politician after the waves of disillusionment that have washed over so many Slovaks. The first wave came with the collapse of the centre-right government last October when the EU bailout vote killed the hopes of many citizens to see initiatives such as Justice Minister Lucia Žitňanská’s efforts to sweep the cobwebs of secrecy from the judiciary come to full fruition. 30 Jan 2012 Beata Balogová More from Opinion
99 percent Slovak word of the week COKE in Slovakia is less sweet, cars are smaller, sockets wider, and gas much more expensive than in America. So yes, concepts and products do tend to change on their way over the ocean. 30 Jan 2012 Lukáš Fila More from Opinion
Courtesy of the BusinessAcademyin Ni
Addressing corruption “IF YOU do not steal from the state, you are depriving your own family”. This is one of the ironic slogans that people used during the communist regime to justify the day-to-day corruption that became part of many people’s daily lives. But Theodore Sedgwick, the United States Ambassador to Slovakia, told students at the Business Academy in Nitra that one needs to look at the phenomena of corruption beyond just stereotypes since it is not only post-communist countries that need to work ceaselessly to weed out corruption. He added that his homeland always has emerging corruption cases but said that in the US “when we identify corruption, we prosecute it and the people involved with it”. 30 Jan 2012 Beata Balogová More from Politics & Society
Courtesy of KZP
Countrywide Events Music, Theater, Exhibition... Western SLOVAKIA 30 Jan 2012 Zuzana Vilikovská More from Culture & Society
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Quote of the Week
“I have sometimes had the impression that there was a tacit agreement to not look into big corruption cases linking high-ranking politicians and financiers” Daniel Lipšic, interior minister and deputy chair of the Christian Democratic Movement (KDH), commenting on the probe into the Gorilla file.