Zilinka: Inflammatory Statements Uttered by Fico Can End in Great Tragedy

Bratislava, 24 September (TASR) - Remarks made by Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer-SD) on Thursday with respect to the Prosecutor-General's (PG) Office have nothing to do with factual and civil discourse and, on the contrary, could lead to a great tragedy, Prosecutor-General Maros Zilinka warned in a video posted on social media on Thursday.

The prosecutor-general specifically referred to a statement by the prime minister, which Fico posted on social media. "It is time to gift Prosecutor-General M. Zilinka to Ukraine. He has done such dirty work for Ukraine that even the Ukrainian prosecutor-general who had to flee his own country would not have had the courage to do," Fico wrote in response to the PG's decision, according to which the actions of the police and prosecution service in the case concerning the donation of military equipment to Ukraine under the 2020-23 government had been in accordance with the law.

Zilinka strongly rejected Fico's remarks. "It is an undignified and extraordinarily dangerous attack on a law enforcement body that has no precedent," he warned. He also pointed to the possible consequences. "You may not be able to realise this, but precisely such inflammatory statements can end in a great tragedy," the prosecutor-general told Fico.

The prime minister criticised the PG's decision concerning the assessment of the actions of the police and prosecution service. He said the prosecutor-general had confirmed that he was "subservient to his political masters in the opposition" and was not acting in accordance with the laws defining the position and duties of the prosecutor-general. He also suggested possible "fundamental legislative interventions in the functioning of the prosecution service". The prime minister has also called a news conference on the issue for Friday morning.