Prosecutor Proposes Non-suspended Sentence for NBS Governor Peter K.

Pezinok, October 11 (TASR) - The supervising prosecutor has proposed non-suspended imprisonment with a minimum level of supervision for governor of the Slovakia's central bank (NBS) and former finance minister Peter K. [name abbreviated due to legal reasons] for the offence of bribery. At the main hearing on Friday, the defendant proposed that his prosecution should be halted in relation to the statute of limitations. However, the Specialised Criminal Court (STS) judge rejected this, so the trial has continued with the reading of the closing arguments. According to the prosecution, Peter K. as finance minister repeatedly asked then head of Financial Administration (the tax office) Frantisek Imrecze to provide, among other matters, the priority payment of VAT-refund claims for several companies worth more than €3 million. To this end, he allegedly gave Imrecze a bribe of €48,000. The NBS governor pleaded not guilty at start of the trial. Peter K. was charged with bribery again in autumn 2022. Earlier, the Prosecutor-General's Office dropped the charges against him. STS found Kazimir guilty of bribery in April 2023, fining him €100,000. As both the prosecutor and the ex-minister appealed against the verdict, a main trial is now being held. am/df