The police detained former chair of the Slovak National Party (SNS), Jan Slota, for drunk driving at the beginning of May. However, while he has not yet been punished for his offense, the police have reprimanded the officers who handled his case - a rank-and-file police officer and a district police director in Čadca, Milan Svitek, because they failed to inform the head of regional police headquarters in Žilina, Ivan Špánik, that they were going to release Slota, and notified him only after Slota had been released from custody, the Sme daily reported on June 22.
Slota was released on the request of the district prosecutor from Čadca. Police management said that the officers handling the arrest should have asked for a written order, which they failed to do.
“They did not fulfil their duties,” said spokesperson for Police Presidium Michal Slivka, as quoted by Sme.
The rank-and-file police officer was subject to a disciplinary reprimand, and his supervisor was punished with a minimum cut in his monthly salary.
Slota’s release made it impossible to conduct the super-fast-tracked proceeding typically used in such cases. Meanwhile, the police submitted Slota’s file to the prosecutor with a proposal to file a criminal complaint against him, the Nový Čas daily reported, quoting Žilina regional police spokesperson Radko Moravčík.
If found guilty, Slota could face up to one year in prison, since he refused to submit to a breathalyser test or provide a blood sample. Because of this he was automatically deemed to have a blood-alcohol level above 1 part per thousand, and thus liable for criminal prosecution, and placed in custody, Sme reported.
Source: Sme
For more information about his story please see: Slota charged with drunk-driving
Compiled by Radka Minarechová from press reports
The Slovak Spectator cannot vouch for the accuracy of the information presented in its Flash News postings.
