Supreme Court president denies influencing decision in Kováčik case
František Mozner rejected allegations that he interfered with the ruling by the panel that overturned the conviction of former special prosecutor Dušan Kováčik.
Supreme Court president denies influencing decision in Kováčik case
Supreme Court president František Mozner rejected claims that he influenced the court's decision to overturn the conviction of former special prosecutor Dušan Kováčik. In an interview with the newspaper Pravda, he stated that judges cannot be instructed on how to decide cases.
The controversy concerns an evening meeting that Mozner had in the office of judge Martina Zeleňáková shortly before a five-member panel of the Supreme Court decided in December 2025 to overturn Kováčik's conviction for corruption. Zeleňáková presided over this panel.
The meeting was first highlighted by Supreme Court judge Juraj Kliment, who also raised further objections to the case. Mozner confirmed that the meeting took place, but does not remember the details. He described it as a "coincidence" and stated that conversations with judges outside working hours are not unusual.
"Someone is creating an impression, and this without any evidence whatsoever, that the judges of the Supreme Court are puppets. That the court president will come to them and tell them how to decide. That is not how it works," Mozner told Pravda.
Kováčik was sentenced in 2022 to eight years in prison for corruption-related offences, including accepting a bribe of 50,000 euros. He was released from prison in August 2024 after Justice Minister Boris Susko filed an extraordinary remedial measure and suspended the execution of the sentence.
Prior to this intervention, the Supreme Court found no grounds for Kováčik's early release. Mozner, who then presided over the five-member panel of the Supreme Court hearing Kováčik's 2023 appeal, stated that the judges rejected the request to suspend the execution of the sentence.
Following Susko's filing, the Supreme Court in December 2025 annulled the previous ruling, meaning that Kováčik is currently considered not guilty. He remains suspended from his position at the General Prosecutor's Office and is receiving part of his salary during the ongoing proceedings.
Mozner also criticised a recent decision by the Specialised Criminal Court, where judge Peter Pulman rejected the charge against Kováčik and returned the case to the investigation stage, which may require a new investigator. According to Mozner, the December 2025 Supreme Court decision did not require such a step.
The Supreme Court will review the matter after prosecutors filed a complaint against the decision.
Kováčik has received political support from Prime Minister Robert Fico and the Smer party. Fico described the trial as a "monstrous trial", with him and other Smer representatives criticising judge Kliment, who decided on several significant cases. Justice Minister Susko, also a member of Smer, recently failed in an attempt to remove Kliment from his position through disciplinary proceedings.
Source: The Slovak Spectator