Appeals court rules against President Kiska, ex-president denounces case as politically motivated

The former head of state remains steadfast in his commitment to challenging the court’s ruling, accuses PM Fico of intimidating judges.

By: spectator.sme.sk

Oct 31 2024
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Appeals court rules against Pr

The Regional Court in Prešov, eastern Slovakia, delivered a verdict on Thursday in the tax case of former Slovak President Andrej Kiska, who served from 2014 to 2019, finding him guilty of tax fraud. The court overturned the initial district court judgment, reducing Kiska’s original sentence to one year’s imprisonment, suspended for two years.

“The court concluded that the act took place and the accused committed it,” stated Judge Jaroslav Bugeľ, as quoted by Korzár. He noted that it was “ironic” that “the legislator’s will [to amend criminal laws earlier this year - ed.] ultimately aided Kiska.”

Kiska appealed after the District Court in Poprad, a town where he resides, found him guilty of tax fraud in 2023, citing the inclusion of his presidential campaign expenses in the accounts of his family company, KTAG. The case goes back to 2019. The district court ruled that Kiska orchestrated a tax fraud scheme that falsely generated a VAT refund claim of approximately €155,000. Kiska had initially received a two-year prison sentence, suspended for three years, along with a six-year ban on holding a position within a company, and a €15,000 fine.

However, the regional court waived the financial penalty, deeming it unreviewable, and similarly dismissed the six-year corporate management ban. Unlike Kiska, who withdrew from politics in 2020, a prosecutor from the Prešov Regional Prosecutor’s Office welcomed the ruling.