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Slovak Central Bank Governor Peter Kazimir stated that the accusations against him were unfounded.
Peter Kazimir, a member of the Governing Council of the European Central Bank, was charged with bribery in Slovakia, where politicians are increasing pressure to try to force him to step down.
The governor of the country’s central bank, Kazimir, denied the allegations. His lawyer Ondrej Mularcik said that the governor has received notice of the allegations and will file a complaint against them.
“I don’t think there is any crime,” Kazimir said in a statement issued by the central bank on Tuesday. He said that the accusations against him were unfounded. A spokesperson for the European Central Bank declined to comment.
The council is no stranger to the legal troubles its members endure. In the past decade, members from Cyprus to Latvia and Slovenia have faced charges or accusations that have caused the European Central Bank to complain about violations of the independence of the central bank. According to EU law, the government cannot dismiss the governor of the central bank unless it proves serious misconduct.
According to the Sme newspaper, the corruption allegations against Kazimir are related to his role as finance minister in the government of Prime Minister Robert Fico, who lost power in 2020. Kazimir has been in his current job since 2019.
As the investigation unfolded, Kazimir ignored the political pressure to step down. He is the highest-ranking member of the former Slovak cabinet promoted by the government’s anti-corruption campaign, which came to power last year after a campaign centered on the fight against corruption.
These allegations will now be investigated, this process will continue for at least four months, and then the court will decide whether to prosecute. If found guilty, the charge will be sentenced to two to five years in prison.
Peter Kremsky, a member of the Slovak ruling coalition, told the DennikN newspaper on Wednesday that he will submit a proposal to the parliamentary committee next week, asking the government to ask the president to remove Kazimir from office. According to Slovak law, cases related to the removal of the governor of the central bank are decided by the European Court of Justice.
Kazimir is the second central bank governor to face bribery charges in an Eastern Eurozone country. In 2018, Ilmars Rimsevics, a former Latvian member of the European Central Bank Governing Council, was detained and later charged.
Rimsevics is fighting a criminal prosecution in which he solicits bribes in exchange for helping the now-defunct Trasta Komercbanka solve regulatory issues. His arrest was one of a series of scandals that threatened the reputation of the financial industry in Eurozone countries. He denied all allegations and blamed a group of banks for his legal problems.
In a case before the European Court of Justice in the Rimsevics case, an adviser stated in April that members of the ECB’s Governing Council enjoy broad immunity from prosecution when performing their formal duties.
Attorney General Julian Cocotte stated in a non-binding opinion at the time that immunity should prevent “initiation of judicial proceedings or adoption of national restrictions” before “an agreement is reached with the institution to which the person belongs.” The full verdict of the case is still awaiting.
After an investigative journalist who wrote about the link between crime and politics was shot dead, the record-setting prolonged rule of former Prime Minister Fico ended in public outrage. Anti-government demonstrations eventually overthrew the government.
After the new government came to power, a series of officials were arrested, including a former deputy justice minister, a special prosecutor and a police chief-although the authorities have not charged any senior politicians until now.
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