Slovakia Očistec case: Ex-agent Kaľavský testifies in court

During the Očistec case proceedings at the Specialized Criminal Court in Banská Bystrica, former National Criminal Agency operative Ján Kaľavský provided testimony regarding alleged misconduct by investigators.

Kaľavský, who was sentenced to five years in prison for corruption and leaking information, was called by the defense to support claims that investigators—referred to as ‘čurillovci’—were biased. He testified that the system was designed to target specific individuals by using coached witnesses to confirm false accounts. He further claimed that investigators offered to release him from custody in exchange for his cooperation.

Defendant and former special prosecutor Dušan Kováčik described the testimony as credible, noting that Kaľavský has consistently maintained these claims since 2021. Conversely, prosecutor Bohdan Čeľovský questioned the witness's credibility, characterizing the testimony as the subjective feelings of a convicted criminal who only began cooperating when facing prosecution. Čeľovský noted that there is currently no evidence that Kaľavský's claims have led to the lawful conviction of any police officers.