Lipsic: Main Reason for Scrapping USP Is that It Dealt with Sensitive Cases

        Pezinok, March 19 (TASR) - The Special Prosecutor's Office (USP) has been dealing in recent years with cases leading to the highest levels of public life, business and the judiciary, which was apparently the main reason for its scrapping, Special Prosecutor Daniel Lipsic said at a press conference on Tuesday.
        Lipsic pointed out that prosecutors of the Special Prosecutor's Office supervised the most serious criminal cases. "Whether they were related to corruption, organised crime, terrorism, extremism, EU fund fraud, the most serious economic crime, and in the last three and a half years these cases have also led to the highest levels of public life, business and the judiciary. This is probably the main reason for the express scrapping of the Special Prosecutor's Office," he said.
        The special prosecutor added that in Slovakia's independent history, 58 life sentences have been imposed, 28 of them in cases led by USP prosecutors. "From the east to the west, we managed to dismantle all the criminal groups that operated in Slovakia," said prosecutor Bohdan Celovsky, adding that 400 cases of murder or premeditated murder had been solved.
        Prosecutor Jan Santa from the economic crime department spoke of a successful fight against non-banking entities and criminal groups based on VAT fraud. "There isn't the slightest reason to abolish this office. On the contrary, this office has proven to be a highly specialised and successful workplace that has fulfilled all the tasks assigned to it over 20 years," he stressed.
        The Special Prosecutor's Office will cease to exist on March 20.