Ambassador Commends Special Court in Battle Against Corruption

August 7, 2008

Ambassador Vincent Obsitnik visited Slovakia’s Special Court and Special Prosecutor in Pezinok on August 7 to express his support for the efforts of the Slovak government, including through the institutions of the Special Court and the Special Prosecutor, to combat corruption. The Special Court, which was established in 2003 and now tries about 80 cases per year, has been praised by many analysts as an effective tool for dealing with corruption cases and cases of organized criminal groups. Its future status is uncertain, however, pending the Constitutional Court's ruling on a petition filed by members of Parliament claiming that the Special Court is unconstitutional and should be shut down. “I want to commend [President of the Special Court Michal Truban] for the excellent work that the Special Court is doing,” Ambassador Obsitnik said. “I think it’s very important for Slovak society, and it’s very important that corruption be fought at every level — both official high corruption as well as low corruption.” The Embassy recently helped sponsor an anti-corruption seminar with Transparency International in Martin and is supporting a week-long “integrity enhancement” training for customs and border police that will conclude in Bratislava on August 8.