Smer politician Tibor Gašpar.
Former police chief and Smer MP Tibor Gašpar, and his relative and oligarch Norbert Bödör, are facing new charges in a new case.
Both were accused on December 6 of breach of confidentiality and verbal expression of complicity, with Bödör additionally charged with bribery by the National Crime Agency (NAKA), the Sme daily wrote.
Other individuals, including former head of tax investigators Ľudovít Makó, are also facing new charges.
The website tvnoviny.sk was the first to break the story.
The Ezekiel 7 case, the name of which refers to a chapter in the Bible called "The end has come", and the Očistec (Purgatory) case are thus not the only problems for the charged Smer MP.
Despite facing criminal charges, Gašpar hasn't been ruled out as the next secret service (SIS) chief. The chief is selected by the government. The president appoints them.
Today, Gašpar heads the security and defence parliamentary committee.
Purgatory trial hasn't started
Gašpar and Bödör are among the charged in the Purgatory case, in which both are charged with establishing and running an organised crime group, awaiting trial. The Ezekiel 7 case stems from older cases, alleging that Gašpar and Bödör bribed police officers to obstruct several high-profile police investigations.
The trial for Purgatory, involving a criminal group within the police force during Gašpar's tenure, was scheduled for December 4, but was delayed due to objections to the composition of the panel. The new trial date has not been set.
Bödör is also facing corruption charges in the Dobytkár (Cattle-breeder) case, which involves suspicions of an organised group that collected and laundered more than €3.7 million from EU funds.
Norbert Bödör (source: TASR)
PM Fico's reaction
Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer) has questioned why no action was taken when former head of tax investigators, Makó, spoke about the allegations against Gašpar in 2020. Gašpar is now charged with actions dating back ten years, Fico claimed.
"Why, when Makó talked about it in 2020, did nothing happen in this matter?" asked Fico, as stated by the daily Pravda.
Fico connected Gašpar's charges to his advocacy for the recently presented changes in the Criminal Code, stating that Gašpar is one of the most active figures in this matter. According to the prime minister, the latest charges against the-ex police chief prove that changes in criminal law, including the abolishment of the Special Prosecutor's Office, need to be made as quickly as possible.
