Peter Kazimir, president of the Słowacki Central Bank and a close ally of Prime Minister Robert Fico, was convicted on Thursday for bribery and punished with a fine of PLN 200,000 euro (approx. PLN 850).
Kazimir was accused of offering 48 thousand. euro (approx. PLN 200,000) in 2016 Frantiska Imrecz, a former chairman of the Slovak tax administration, in order to accelerate tax proceedings for companies belonging to his friend Ladislav Rehak. Kazimir was then the finance minister in the Ficy government. The judgment confirms the previous decision of the court and doubles the applied fine.
Kazimir, who has not repeatedly appeared in court at the trial, did not comment on the case, but is expected to organize a press conference at a later date, according to the newspaper “SME”. The politician will probably appeal.
This message is another blow to the image of the European Central Bank, which for years was harassed by the financial irregularities of the members of the CEOs Council. Last year, Edward Scicluna, president of the Central Bank of Malta, was forced to resign from a position in connection with allegations that he agreed to the corrupt hospitalization of the hospitalwhen he was the finance minister.
