An anonymous internet-broadcast message threatened on Wednesday to release audio and video recordings linked to the so-called Gorilla file that would "dish the dirt" on Slovak politics on Thursday evening, the Aktualne.sk website reported. The author said that they would go ahead with the move if all politicians mentioned in the 'Gorilla' file failed to step down from their respective election slates by the given time, the TASR newswire wrote. The information was published on vyzva.tumblr.com, where the mooted recordings were supposed to appear. The website was created on tumblr.com, the blogging site on which the 'Gorilla' and 'Sasanka' documents were published. The announcement also stated that the websites of all political parties would be "paralysed" on Thursday.
However, a few hours later the anonymous author of the message announced that the threat was a joke intended to “test” the Slovak media. They pointed out that the threat had been published without being checked, and that the goal of the initiative was to prompt debate about what can be published without further checks, TASR wrote on Thursday, February 23.
Meanwhile, the Sme daily reported via its website on February 23 that recordings of private conversations between former speaker of parliament Richard Sulík, who is the leader of Freedom and Solidarity (SaS), and businessman Marián Kočner, which took place inside Kočner’s house, had been published online, also at tumblr.com. SaS spokesperson Tatiana Tóthová said the videos were recorded illegally and without Sulík’s knowledge, TASR reported. She added there was no bad intent from the SaS leader’s side. In the videos the pair comment on political developments.
Sources: TASR, Sme
Compiled by Zuzana Vilikovská from press reports
The Slovak Spectator cannot vouch for the accuracy of the information presented in its Flash News postings.
