INDEPENDENT MP Jozef Elsner refused to comment on the contents of a secretly recorded conversation he had with the chairman of the New Citizen's Alliance (ANO) party Pavol Rusko until the ongoing police investigation was completed, the TASR news agency reported.
The Pravda daily recently published a part of the recording, which appears to show Elsner asking Rusko for money in exchange for remaining loyal to ANO. In the recording Elsner suggests that an unspecified third party may offer him some money and he asks Rusko for his figure so he could "compare offers".
Shortly afterwards he appears to regret having said this, and states that he wants to take his request back.
Elsner said that he would give a statement to investigators, secure in the knowledge that he did not break the law. He also said that he was not going to take part in Rusko's continual media games.
Elsner was elected to parliament as a member of ANO, but joined the pro-government Ľubomír Lintner group following a party split in September 2005. Rusko and his remaining followers went over to the opposition.
