Let's Stop Corruption: Prosecutor Challenges Decision on 2024 Anti-campaign (2)

Bratislava, December 19 (TASR) - Bratislava I District Prosecutor's Office has lodged an appeal against a decision by Bratislava District Authority to halt proceedings regarding suspicions of an anti-campaign conducted by Interior Minister Matus Sutaj Estok (Voice-SD) during this year's presidential election, TASR learnt from the 'Lets Stop Corruption' Foundation's communications specialist Norbert Chomistek on Thursday. NGOs that drew attention to the case pointed out that the prosecution service concluded that statements in social media posts written by the interior minister couldn't be interpreted logically in any other way than being aimed at influencing the campaign to the detriment of one of the candidates in the race. "The relevant administrative body gave up on its own legal considerations and merely uncritically embraced the defence arguments of Mgr. Matus Sutaj Estok," stated the prosecutor's office. Foundation director Zuzana Petkova views this as evidence that institutions in Slovakia are still functioning. Meanwhile, director of Transparency International Slovensko Michal Pisko has welcomed the prosecutor's decision. "An independent and professional approach by the authority is crucial for public trust in institutions and campaign fairness. All the more so here, when an obvious violation of campaign rules was committed by the very minister whose office is responsible for overseeing compliance with them," he stated. Ivan Godarsky of the Memo 98 organisation believes that the public expects the election committee to take up a predictable, justifiable and convincing stance on complaints of election rule violations. "We're repeatedly calling on it to help with its interpretation and to assume a stance on the campaign by third parties," he said. mf/df