Kovacikova to Resign as First Deputy PG and as Prosecutor

Bratislava, November 24 (TASR) – First deputy prosecutor-general (PG) Viera Kovacikova told journalists on Tuesday that she’ll resign from her post and will quit as a prosecutor as well.

Explaining the reasons for her resignation, Kovacikova said that she doesn’t want to face any more attacks and wants to accept responsibility for going to work after being tested positive for coronavirus. Kovacikova also said she won’t wait until the new PG is elected before stepping down.

“It’s partly related to accepting criminal liability for my actions, when I went in to arrange necessary things at work having had a positive test. I’ve paid for being responsible and honest,” Kovacikova told journalists.

Kovacikova does see a problem in the fact that she’ll leave her post before the new PG is elected, but she isn’t willing to face personal attacks any longer. “I assumed that the PG would definitely be elected by the end of November and that I would duly hand over the agenda to him, but at the moment I’m able to anticipate neither the course of the election, nor when it will take place,” stated Kovacikova, adding that she’s finding it difficult to bear criticism of her actions and doesn’t want to damage the prosecution service. “It concerns all attacks against me,” she said when asked whether she’s resigning partly due to criticism of decisions that she’s made over the past couple of weeks and months.

Kovacikova announced her decision to resign at a session of the parliamentary defence committee on Monday (November 23), adding that she wants to resign as of November 30.

Kovacikova was appointed to her post by then prosecutor-general Jaromir Ciznar in early May 2019. He later resigned from his post, and Kovacikova has been exercising the powers related to the top prosecutor post since August 11, 2020.