People protested at the Smer party congress December 10, 2016, holding a banner with businessman Ladislav Bašternák and Interior Minister Robert Kaliňák. (source: SITA)
The police will probably drop charges against controversial businessman Ladislav Bašternák, who has been accused of tax fraud.
He turned himself in to the police on August 17 and regretted his actions in front of the investigator. He promised to return the millions of euros he had received via excessive tax refunds and will probably avoid prosecution, the Plus Jeden Deň daily reported.
The police brought charges against Bašternák in March 2017. Via his BL-202 company, Bašternák bought seven flats in the Five Star Residence complex for €12 million altogether, back in 2012. The real amount, however, was much lower as the Financial Administration confirmed after a tax inspection.
The investigator thus claimed that Bašternák groundlessly received VAT refunds amounting to €2 million.
The Plus Jeden Deň daily now reports that the businessman used the mechanism of effective regret, which according to the Criminal Code can be applied in case failure to pay taxes and insurance payments.
“Effective regret means the termination of the crime,” lawyer Ondrej Mularčík explained to Plus Jeden Deň. “The accused person can pay the tax one day after the investigation ends at the latest.”
