Groehling: Restoration of USP Condition for SaS Joining Any Future Coalition

Bratislava, March 20 (TASR) - The restoration of the Special Prosecutor's Office (USP) will be included in the programme of the Freedom and Solidarity (SaS) party and also one of its conditions for joining any future coalition, SaS chair Branislav Groehling declared at a press conference on Wednesday. "It's essential for the fight against corruption and organised crime to have such a standalone specialised institution," stated MP Maria Kolikova, pointing out that similar institutions exist in other EU countries as well. According to Kolikova, Slovakia committed itself to creating the Special Prosecutor's Office in international treaties, and she's convinced that its abolition was unconstitutional. One of USP's special features was that its existence disrupted local ties prevailing at regional prosecutor's offices. She warned that only six ex-USP prosecutors will continue to work at a special department, with the majority of them having been reassigned to agenda unrelated to criminal law. MP Ondrej Dostal thanked Daniel Lipsic for his tenure as special prosecutor. Dostal perceives the election of Maros Zilinka to the post of prosecutor-general as the worst decision made by the former governing coalition. "Maros Zilinka has confirmed it time and again, even at this moment with the despicable manner in which he has dealt with prosecutors of the Special Prosecutor's Office," he said. mf/df