Charges against Slovak ECB policymaker dropped, up for review

-Slovakia’s supreme prosecutor’s workplace has dropped expenses towards central financial institution governor Peter Kazimir in a case involving an alleged bribe a number of years in the past and advised prosecutors to evaluation the case once more, deputy prosecutor common stated on Tuesday.

Final October, the euro zone nation’s Particular Prosecutor’s workplace charged Kazimir, a member of the European Central Financial institution’s Governing Council, with a “corruption-related crime”.

Kazimir has denied any wrongdoing.

First deputy of the Prosecutor Common, Josef Kandera, advised a televised information convention that expenses towards Kazimir had been primarily based on sole “crown witness.” Since that individual was charged with crimes and looking for advantages kind cooperating with police, it wanted particular consideration, he stated.

Subsequently the present expenses had been dropped however prosecutors will think about the case once more, Kandera stated.

“The ruling of a prosecutor on the Particular Prosecutor’s workplace was canceled and the prosecutor was ordered to contemplate the case once more and rule,” Kandera advised the information convention.

A spokesperson for the prosecutor’s workplace was not instantly out there for additional remark.

Kazimir’s workplace referred Reuters to his lawyer, Ondrej Mularcik, for touch upon the choice.

“Mr. governor accepted the choice with pleasure and humility. He didn't and doesn't really feel responsible of committing against the law,” Mularcik advised Reuters.

Kazimir was finance minister from 2012 till 2019, nominated by the leftist SMER occasion, earlier than he assumed his six-year time period on the helm of the central financial institution.

Slovak information web site aktuality.sk reported on the time when the fees had been made public that Kazimir was accused of being a “courier” who introduced an round 50,000 euro ($57,845) bribe to the then-chief of the nation’s tax administration, who has been investigated for a number of crimes and has cooperated with police.