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3 clusters · 22 sources · 8 days · First seen · Last updated

Slovakia Očistec police corruption trial

Overview

The Očistec case, a high‑profile corruption trial concerning an alleged criminal network within Slovakia’s police and security services (2012‑2018), has proceeded at the Specialized Criminal Court in Banská Bystrica.

The main hearing began on 11 May, was briefly adjourned, and resumed on 20 July with eleven defendants—including former head of the Financial Police Bernard Slobodník, ex‑police president Tibor Gašpar, businessman Norbert Bödör, former special prosecutor Dušan Kováčik and others—facing charges of bribery, abuse of power and organized‑crime activity. The court imposed strict limits on live broadcasting to protect witnesses.

On 22 July, former NAKA director Bernard Slobodník testified about a cash‑bribery scheme, describing a sports bag containing roughly €200,000 that he said was delivered on orders from Gašpar and Bödör to influence investigations such as the Váhostav and Jopi Trade cases and to protect businessman Juraj Široký.

A further hearing on 27 July recorded Gašpar’s repeated denial of any wrongdoing. He asserted he never attended meetings in the state‑run Transpetrol building and that any contacts with Bödör occurred only at the Radošina pub. Slobodník also claimed to have received a €50,000 payment linked to the Váhostav case, part of which he said was passed to former investigator Roman Stahl and an expert associated with Marián Kočner. The court adjourned proceedings and scheduled Gašpar’s testimony for 28 July, continuing the examination of corruption, abuse of public office and organized‑crime allegations within the police hierarchy.

Entities

Róbert Magul · Pavol Ďurko · Tibor Gašpar · Branislav Dunč · Bernard Slobodník

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.

Timeline

  1. 16 days ago

    [CRIME] 11 sources
    Tibor Gašpar denies involvement as Očistec trial continues in Slovakia

    Slovakia’s Očistec trial implicates former police chief Tibor Gašpar and others in alleged police corruption; Gašpar denies meetings at Transpetrol, citing only pub gatherings, as the court adjourns to 28 July.

  2. 21 days ago

    [CRIME] 10 sources
    Former police chief Gašpar faces testimony in Slovak Očistec corruption trial

    Bernard Slobodník testified for the third day in Slovakia’s Očistec trial, detailing €200,000 bribes handed by ex‑policeman Kučerka on orders from former police chief Tibor Gašpar and businessman Norbert Bödör,

  3. 23 days ago

    [POLITICS] 4 sources
    Slovakia's Očistec police corruption trial continues in Banská Bystrica

    Slovakia's Očistec trial continues in Banská Bystrica, with former police chief Gašpar, businessman Bödör and others facing charges of a police criminal group; prosecutors seek testimony from ex‑president Kiska

Sources

aktuality.sk · autor.aktuality.sk · cadca.sk · dennikn.sk · dennikstandard.sk · europa.pravda.sk · hlavnespravy.sk · horsereview.com · koktejl.azet.sk · m.aktuality.sk · noizz.aktuality.sk · noizz.sk · novinky.cz · osobnost.aktuality.sk · postoj.sk · rectorsailing.com · seznamzpravy.cz · svetkrestanstva.postoj.sk · ta3.com · themusical.co.uk · topky.sk · zurnal.pravda.sk