A SPECIAL team tasked with investigating the Gorilla case, an alleged corruption scandal that was leaked to the internet and the media in late December 2011, has launched probes into two new criminal cases involving bribery, news-only website Aktuálne.sk reported on March 17.
“We have launched two new criminal investigations into crimes involving corruption practices,” Marek Gajdoš, the head of the investigation team, told Aktuálne.sk, as reported by the TASR newswire. Gajdoš did not provide any further details.
According to the website, the suspicions go back to 2005-06. The police are working with the testimonies, but substantiation might be difficult. Also, special prosecutor Dušan Kováčik admitted that it is nearly impossible to clarify such an old corruption case, the SITA newswire wrote, citing the website.
Apart from the two new cases, the investigators have also been looking into suspicions of bribes linked to supplying information systems and the violation of obligations when administering the property of others associated with the privatisation of electricity utility Slovenské Elektrárne, TASR wrote.
Moreover, at the beginning of 2012 the police launched a criminal prosecution over the establishment, organisation and support of an organised crime group.
Kováčik told the Hospodárske Noviny daily in November 2013 that most of the operations in the case have already been carried out, pondering whether the special investigation team is necessary. According to him, the investigation could be closed in the first half of 2014, as reported by SITA. Gajdoš did not specify any date for closing the investigation for Aktuálne.sk.
The Gorilla document was reportedly made by the Slovak Information Service (SIS) intelligence agency in 2005-2006. The 44,000-word document allegedly describes operations conducted by the SIS, which sought to collect information on the Penta financial group’s influence on senior Slovak politicians between 2005 and 2006. The wiretapping took place between November 2010 and January 2011.
Source: TASR, SITA
Compiled by Radka Minarechová from press reports
The Slovak Spectator cannot vouch for the accuracy of the information presented in its Flash News postings.
