Corruption investigation goes on. Investigators come close to Smer

Some of the people arrested on corruption charges in the past few months are now cooperating with the police. They also mention Fico.

Former Police Corps president Tibor Gašpar is in custody. Robert Kaliňák (left) and Robert Fico (right) still stand behind him. Former Police Corps president Tibor Gašpar is in custody. Robert Kaliňák (left) and Robert Fico (right) still stand behind him. (Source: Sme - Jozef Jakubčo)

When the former top police officers serving under the Smer government were arrested last week, Smer leader and the former three-time prime minister Robert Fico yelled at journalists that the prosecution is following political orders and there is no evidence to sustain it.

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The document of charges, however, shows that the police have more than just testimonies of how "someone demanded something at an unspecified space, an unspecified person, and unspecified bribe," as Fico described it at his November 5 press conference.

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The testimony about the actions of an organised group using its influence in the police also to the benefit of Smer, was delivered by the former head of the Criminal Office of the Financial Administration, Ľudovít Makó, who is now in pre-trial custody.

Another five witnesses confirm his testimony, including the former head of the National Unit of the Financial Police Bernard Slobodník, who reported himself to the police.

"In this case it appears illogical that the above mentioned cooperating persons lied in their testimonies," the charges read.

Smer and Fico have recently appeared in other cases in which the charged have started to collaborate with the investigators.

The media reported that even former state secretary of the Justice Ministry Monika Jankovská, detained during Operation Storm in March this year, and in pre-trial custody ever since, is now willing to cooperate as well. The messages that she exchanged with mobster Marian Kočner in the coded Threema app suggest she used to go for advice directly to Fico.

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