The Očistec Case: Prosecutor Brings Charges Against Eleven Defendants
Proceedings continued on Tuesday at the specialised court in Pezinok. Among the accused are prominent figures, including a deputy chairman of parliament.
The Očistec Case: Prosecutor Brings Charges Against Eleven Defendants
On Tuesday, the reading of the indictment finally took place at the Specialised Criminal Court in Pezinok in the extensive criminal proceedings known as the Očistec case. The prosecutor from the special prosecution office began presenting the charges shortly before 9 a.m. The first attempt in May ended in an adjournment before the indictment was made public.
In these proceedings, eleven people face criminal charges. Tibor Gašpar, a senior official of the Smer party who currently holds the post of deputy chairman of the legislative assembly, is rejecting the accusations. Another of the accused, former head of the financial administration František Imrecze, told journalists that the passages of the indictment concerning him are not truthful. He added that he did not commit the alleged act, and if it happened at all, he had no knowledge of it.
Among the accused is also well-known Nitra businessman Norbert Bödör, regarded as a close associate of the same political party. The file contains more than twenty described offences. According to the prosecutor, an organised group allegedly operated in the security service between 2012 and 2018, with Gašpar as its reported leader during his tenure as head of the police presidium.
The indictment claims that affiliated members and commanders helped people in their circle whilst also creating obstacles for political rivals. These are suspicions of bribery, abuse of official power and other unlawful conduct.
Senate chairman Peter Pulman clarified that the information ban applies exclusively to the evidence-gathering phase. The reading of the indictment itself is public, so it can be broadcast live. The court imposed restrictions on journalists at the first hearing in May to prevent witnesses from influencing one another.
Source: Aktuality.sk
Source: Aktuality