JUSTICE Minister Viera Petríková took further action in the wake of the escape by a prisoner from the Palace of Justice on February 26 – she dismissed the chief executive of the open section of the Institute for the Execution of Custody in Bratislava on March 1 but she did not reveal his name, the TASR newswire wrote. This follows the immediate dismissal of the director of the Institute, Jozef Mikula, on February 26.
Petríková’s latest decision came after an investigation was carried out by the general director of the Prison and Justice Guard Corps, Mária Kreslová. The minister said that she is also considering filing a criminal complaint against the dismissed officials, citing either corruption or the abuse of public powers. She said she sees no reason to dismiss Kreslová, however.
Prime Minister Robert Fico called for more effective screening procedures when it comes to choosing prisoners to carry out such jobs.
The prisoner who fled from the Palace of Justice is still on the lam and had been doing cleaning work there in an unguarded work area. The incident occurred only three days after a similar escape from Leopoldov prison in which a 37-year-old convict sentenced for tax fraud fled an unguarded work area.
