Fico: Kiska Told Me about His Tax Case Himself; I Didn't Find It Illegally

Bratislava, October 1 (TASR) – President Andrej Kiska told me about his “tax-related issues” himself, I didn’t obtain the information illegally from the tax office or other bodies, stated Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer-SD) at a press briefing at the Government Office in Bratislava on Sunday.

“He told me about it himself at the Borik Hotel in Bratislava a year ago,” Fico said, adding that there were witnesses to prove it.

The prime minister even added that he’s willing to take a lie detector in this regard without any hesitation. “I refuse to be blamed for something all the time,” Fico said.

The premier was referring to the statements made by Fair-Play Alliance chair Zuzana Wienk on RTVS’s programme ‘O 5 Minut 12’ (Five Minutes to Twelve) earlier in the day. Wienk said that Fico knew about the tax audit at a company co-owned by Kiska as early as in August – before an anonymous person or entity released the confidential information in September. She also said that Fico spoke about Kiska’s tax-related issue during a working meeting concerning a bill on whistleblowers in which she participated.

According to Wienk, Fico at the meeting allegedly described Kiska as a tax fraudster that cannot be trusted. Fico also didn’t agree with a proposal that the head of the Office for the Protection of Whistleblowers should be appointed by the president. Wienk said that confidential information protected by the law is being misused in a political fight.

The premier at the briefing told journalists that Wienk is Kiska’s friend, and he rejected her accusations. He added that the fact the “blame has been put on him” is a result of a joint agreement between Wienk and the Presidential Office.