Court Releases Peter Sch. and Four NAKA Investigators from Custody
Bratislava, October 1 (TASR) – Bratislava Regional Court on Friday released from custody Peter Sch. [name abbreviated due to legal reasons], who temporarily headed the Internal Affairs Inspectorate (UIS), and four investigators of the National Crime Agency (NAKA), court spokesperson Pavol Adamciak told TASR on the same day.
According to Adamciak, the regional court’s senate viewed their criminal prosecution as unfounded.
The verdict of the regional court that released from custody four National Crime Agency (NAKA) investigators and interim head of the Internal Affairs Inspectorate (UIS) is a satisfaction for all who believe that Slovakia is ready for a cleansing process, however difficult and unpleasant it will be, Interior Minister Roman Mikulec (OLaNO) said on Friday.
“An independent court states in its decision that the prosecution is unfounded. It is clear evidence that these people did their work to the best of their knowledge and belief, despite the fact that some would wish otherwise,” said the minister, pointing, for example, to MP and chairman of the opposition Smer-SD party Robert Fico, who, according to Mikulec, abused the case for “dirty political attacks” and demanded his resignation.
Special Prosecutor Daniel Lipsic considers Friday’s decision of the regional court that released from custody four National Crime Agency (NAKA) investigators to be crucial. According to him, it was confirmed that their prosecution was groundless and that they had not committed any crime.
The special prosecutor told the media that following the decision of the regional court, he evaluates their criminal prosecution even more as an effort to stop or slow down the ongoing investigations heading to the top places. “I’m glad that this effort hasn’t yet succeeded,” he said.
Lipsic didn’t want to comment on the further procedure of the prosecutor’s office. However, he believes that the regional prosecutor’s office will comment on the “misleading and untrue information” mentioned by the supervising prosecutor in the proposal to take them into custody.
