Special Prosecutor Daniel Lipšic (source: SME)
Special Prosecutor Daniel Lipšic has submitted the first disciplinary proposal of his two-and-a-half years in office, targeting prosecutor Ľuboš Beňo.
Beňo is one of six so-called European delegated prosecutors in Slovakia. These officials are supposed to prosecute cases in which harm has been caused to the financial interests of the European Union. All of the European delegated prosecutors working in Slovakia fall under the Special Prosecutor's Office, the Sme daily reported.
Lipšic accuses Beňo of not fulfilling his duties as required, leading to potential delays in legal proceedings.
Case unrelated to Beňo's current post
It is not clear what case is supposed to have been affected by Beňo's alleged inaction. However, it is likely to concern a case that Beňo was dealing with before he became a European delegated prosecutor.
The Supreme Administrative Court will ultimately decide on the disciplinary proposal against Beňo. If he is found guilty, he may face deductions from his salary.
While the details of the disciplinary case were not specified, the European Public Prosecutor's Office (EPPO), which oversees the work of the European delegated prosecutors, said that the proposal relates to a period when Beňo was not acting as a European delegated prosecutor, so it would not comment on the issue.
Beňo became a European delegated prosecutor in 2021. He had previously worked as a prosecutor in Trenčín and Prievidza. As a European delegated prosecutor, he carries out his activities independently of national authorities.
Slovakia's chief European prosecutor is Juraj Novocký.
EPPO conducts investigation linked to Recovery Plan
The EPPO is responsible for combating fraud committed in connection with EU funds. It has the power to investigate and prosecute criminal offences that harm the EU's financial interests.
On October 18, a European delegated prosecutor based in Bratislava filed charges with Slovakia's Specialised Criminal Court against one person and one legal entity for the crime of damaging the financial interests of the EU. The fraud concerns direct payments requested for the management of vineyards and orchards from 2018 to 2020.
The estimated damage caused by the alleged criminal activity in relation to the general budget of the EU exceeds €45,000.
Meanwhile, the European Public Prosecutor's Office is also conducting a criminal prosecution in connection with Slovakia's EU Recovery Plan, over suspicions regarding a €200-million call for the construction and reconstruction of Slovak hospitals. According to reporters at private broadcaster TV Markíza, the suspect in this case is the hospital in the town of Čadca, northern Slovakia, which was declared a 'winner' of the tender even though it had previously been eliminated due to its failure to meet a deadline.
The Slovak office of the EPPO reported its first major successes last year. Together with Czech colleagues, it took action against four companies suspected of violating tax and customs regulations.
