Daniel Lipšic (source: SITA)
The Supreme Court has confirmed a verdict of the Bratislava Regional Court, which rejected an appeal by Privatbanka back in February 2015 to cancel a fine of €55,000 imposed on the bank by the Financial Police Intelligence Unit (SJFP) in 2012.
SJFP carried out an inspection at Privatbanka in accordance with the law on preventing the legalisation of incomes originating from criminal activities and preventing the financing of terrorism. The end result was a fine of €55,000, the TASR newswire reported.
Privatbanka filed an appeal with the Interior Ministry, but this was rejected by then (and current) interior minister Robert Kaliňák (Smer) in 2013. Subsequently, Privatbanka turned to the courts.
The Bratislava Regional Court rejected the appeal on February 24, 2015, while the Supreme Court upheld the verdict on October 4, 2016. Both verdicts became valid on October 18, 2016, the Interior Ministry’s press department informed, as reported by TASR.
The ministry was notified about the rulings on November 2, 2016.
A number of media outlets meanwhile reported that charges had been pressed against former interior minister and ex-MP Daniel Lipšic and his party colleague Gábor Grendel that are linked to the proceedings. The two politicians familiarised themselves with details of the case and then violated the law by providing the information to journalists, a police investigator said, as reported by TASR.
Bratislava Regional Prosecutor’s Office informed the media that charges were pressed against Lipšic on October 13, 2016 concerning abuse of the powers of a public official along with the violation of business, banking, postal, telecommunications and tax confidentiality, violations of the rights of others and slander. Grendel faces churches of violating business, banking, postal, telecommunications and tax confidentiality.
Both Lipšic and Grendel view the charges as an attempt to criminalise the opposition, as reported by TASR.
A press briefing on the issue was held by controversial entrepreneur Marián Kočner, who filed a criminal complaint concerning the matter against Lipšic and Grendel.
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