Fico’s inner circle faces trial in landmark corruption case

The government is bracing for renewed scrutiny as the long-delayed “Purgatory” corruption case, involving some of the country’s most powerful former officials, is finally set to proceed to trial.  

At the centre of the case are two close associates of Prime Minister Robert Fico: Tibor Gašpar, a former national police chief and now deputy speaker of parliament, and Norbert Bödör, a politically connected businessman. Both men, along with nine others, face charges ranging from bribery to abuse of power.

The case dates back to 2020, when Slovakia’s National Crime Agency (NAKA) launched early-morning raids and detained several senior figures linked to the Fico-era security apparatus. Prosecutors allege that Bödör and Gašpar led a criminal network embedded within the police force, using its powers to serve political interests and suppress investigations. Bödör had already been in custody on separate charges in the “Cattle Breeder” case, which the Supreme Court labelled a “mega-machine of corruption and money laundering”. 

After years of legal manoeuvring and repeated delays, a three-judge panel at the Specialised Criminal Court ruled in March that the indictment met all legal requirements. Though the defence may still appeal, the trial could begin within months, according to the daily Denník N. 

The stakes are particularly high for Fico, whose public loyalty to the accused has drawn criticism. Leaked recordings from hunting lodge meetings in Čifáre in summer 2021 revealed efforts by Smer officials, including Fico, and allies to help Gašpar and Bödör secure release from custody. In recent days, the prime minister has escalated attacks on the police officers who led the investigations, accusing them of destroying the rule of law and misconduct and calling one of them, Ján Čurilla, a “maniac”. Čurilla is the former NAKA officer who first brought charges against Gašpar. 

“If we don’t want to look like complete idiots, the public expects action to be taken against these people [the police officers around Ján Čurilla],” Fico declared at a press conference on Tuesday, criticising the police and prosecutors for their inaction against Čurilla and his colleagues.  

On Tuesday, Fico and Gašpar also read aloud messages from the encrypted messaging app Signal, allegedly exchanged by Čurilla and his colleagues in November 2024. It remains unclear how they obtained the messages. 

Čurilla, who has since been suspended and charged along with several of his colleagues, claims the renewed political pressure is designed to discredit him and other investigators ahead of trial. 

“They’re [the charged] afraid that witness testimonies will be made public. Because once journalists start reporting on and analysing those testimonies, it will open people’s eyes the same way it opened mine,” Čurilla told Denník N in December 2024. 

In response to claims about his mental health, Čurilla published a psychologist’s assessment stating that he is fully fit for duty. On Tuesday, Gašpar presented an internal police report dated February 2025 detailing Čurilla’s medical condition—though both he and Fico misrepresented its contents. Fico and Gašpar described Čurilla as a man with five firearms, mentally unstable and potentially capable of carrying out an attack similar to the one committed by Juraj Cintula against Prime Minister Fico in May of last year. In reality, however, Čurilla—like many other Slovaks—takes medication for blood pressure and cholesterol, and is struggling mentally largely due to the sustained attacks from Smer and the bomb threats directed at his family.

On Tuesday, Fico also posted a video of himself meeting with Bödör at the Government Office. Fico has claimed the meeting was to discuss security matters, though Bödör is no longer active in that field—prompting questions about the true purpose of their meeting. The two had also met at the Government Office in late March. When a journalist then asked about the undisclosed meeting, Fico responded: “Pouring a bucket of water over you would be too kind.” Two days after the meeting, the entire leadership of the Financial Administration’s Criminal Office was dismissed—reportedly at Bödör’s request.

The attacks on Čurilla and other investigators come just days after the government introduced a highly unpopular financial transaction tax targeting the self-employed and businesses— a move that appears to be denting Smer’s popularity. In addition, Fico has expressed admiration for the Trump administration’s policies, but the newly announced tariffs risk damaging the Slovak economy. Some observers argue that Fico is seeking to shift attention away from these economic issues by focusing on other, more divisive topics.

The Purgatory case involves 20 criminal acts and includes former top officials, such as ex-NAKA director Pavol Hraško, former anti-corruption chief Róbert Krajmer, and disgraced special prosecutor Dušan Kováčik, already convicted in another case. Though government-aligned figures have sought to downplay or derail proceedings—including controversial criminal code reforms that reduced penalties for corruption—prosecutors argue that the trial remains viable.

Yet political interference remains a concern. The original prosecutor in the case, Michal Šúrek, was suspended by General Prosecutor Maroš Žilinka following separate accusations from the Interior Ministry’s police inspectorate. Though reinstated in January 2025, Šúrek has not returned to the Purgatory file.

Moreover, over the weekend, Tibor Gašpar took to Facebook to criticise Hlas and its leader, Interior Minister Matúš Šutaj Eštok, accusing them of failing to investigate alleged abuses from 2020 to 2023. If Hlas intends to govern the country, Gašpar argued, it must do more than just “reshuffle the pieces” and should instead “bring those responsible to justice”. Fico, however, stated on Tuesday that neither he as prime minister nor Šutaj Eštok interferes with the police or the courts.