Kiss: Raids on Bratislava Night Clubs Aimed at Illegal Economic Activities

Bratislava, October 22 (TASR) - In July-September, Financial Administration (FS) carried out 240 raids in Bratislava, seven of which were in cooperation with the police, FS president Jozef Kiss reported alongside police chief Lubomir Solak at a session of the House defence and security committee on Tuesday. The committee session was convened over recent police raids of night clubs of Bratislava. Kiss underlined that the operations were aimed at checking the issuing of cash register receipts. Kiss added that the crackdowns were conducted based on an analysis, as the problem of unreported revenues is rather salient in Slovakia. Of the 240 raids, more than 80 found wrongdoings, particularly in night clubs and restaurants where tax evasion is most rampant. Interior Ministry State Secretary Lucia Kurilovska added that two raids on Bratislava night clubs that elicited a high level of media coverage were aimed at investigating unlawful employment, the illegal residence of individuals and the issuing of receipts. In addition, based on its own operative activities, the police suspected that the clubs could be hosting individuals with narcotics both for their own use as well as for distribution. Kiss rejected allegations that the two specific night clubs were targeted for ulterior motives. He stressed that serious drug activities should never be downplayed. Speaking in a similar vein was coalition MP Marian Salon (Smer-SD), who voiced his appreciation for zero tolerance for drugs. "If the police and Financial Administration were doing their jobs, we need to thank them," he underlined, telling the opposition to stop focusing on the small quantity of drugs seized in the raids. Opposition lawmakers have cited the testimonies of night club visitors, who claimed that the police raids were out of proportion and that the police teams behaved inappropriately towards club-goers. mf/df