Fico Insists on Fast-track Scrapping of USP after New Charges against Gaspar

Bratislava, December 10 (TASR) - Premier and Smer-SD leader Robert Fico held a press conference on Sunday to announce that he insists on scrapping of the Special Prosecutor's Office (USP), as well as on reasons to deal with it via fast-track proceedings.
        At the news conference he criticised the fact that the media were the first to receive the information about new charges pressed against MP Tibor Gaspar (Smer-SD).
        "There's no place for such an institution that violates human rights in the Slovak criminal justice system," stated Fico. According to him, there has been a group of investigators and prosecutors in the National Crime Agency (NAKA) and USP engaged in liquidation of the former political opposition. He reiterated that the law enables fast-track legislative proceedings even if basic freedoms and human rights are threatened.
        Concerning charges pressed against Gaspar, Fico said that one of the collaborating defendants testified about crimes allegedly committed by Gaspar already some time ago. He noted that Gaspar was in custody in the meantime, asking why action against him wasn't taken earlier.
        Gaspar also claims that charges against him are based on a testimony given by a single collaborating defendant. He claims that a resolution on his indictment hasn't been delivered to him yet.
        USP objected to these claims. It insists that all its actions were carried out in a lawful manner. It also denied that unauthorised persons would have had access to the resolution on indictment. It also stressed that the charges weren't pressed only based on testimonies of witnesses, but also other objective evidence. "Everyone is equal before the law, even if it concerns an MP," stressed USP. It noted that new charges for corruption-related crimes were also pressed against Norbert B. and Ludovit M. in this case.