The published video recording of the transfer of financial cash is explained by the member of the National Council (NR) of the SR and the mayor of Kežmark, Ján Ferenčák, as part of the targeted criminalization of his person. According to him, it should be managed by the head of the police inspection, Branislav Zurian, on the instructions of the Minister of the Interior, Matúš Šutaj Eštok (Voice-SD). He stated this in the Topic of the Day program on TA3 television. The recording was published by the Plus 7 days portal. Ferenčák clarified that he provided a loan to the person in the video. According to him, this is a whistleblower who cooperates in the criminalization of his person. He does not plan to resign from his post as a member of the National Assembly of the Slovak Republic.
- Ján Ferenčák describes the published video with cash as targeted criminalization.
- On the recording, according to Ferenčák, he hands over the loan to an informant connected to the police.
- Ferenčák claims that the whistleblower blackmailed him and did not return the loan provided.
- The deputy does not feel safe under the Minister of the Interior Šutaj Eštok and does not trust the police.
- The vote excluded SD Ferenčák, he is not bound by the coalition agreement or program.
Ferenčák described the person on the video recording as a “whistleblower” who has not returned the loan to this day. “The person who made this recording is today a whistleblower in a criminal case, on the basis of which the land was seized,” claims the deputy, adding that this person coordinates actions with the police inspection. “If anything would be criminal, criminal proceedings continue or begin,” he added. “At that moment, this person demanded a loan from me. I gave her this loan and at the same time, since she had no money, she sold the project that I bought through the company, that was the 75,000. It was paid on September 9, 2023,” he said, adding that the person in the video recording was also blackmailing him. In the video recording, Ferenčák was supposed to hand over 45,000 euros in cash to an unknown person in the garage, and then announces that 75,000 euros will be sent to the account.
The deputy emphasized that he will prove all matters “without problems”. “If I was afraid, now I smell,” he added. According to him, Šutaj Eštok abused his authority. As long as he is the Minister of the Interior, Ferenčák says he does not feel safe in this country. “I don’t trust the police under the leadership of Matúš Šutaj Eštok,” he added that if the parliament were to vote on expressing no confidence in the government, it would be in favor, since Šutaj Eštok is part of it.
“This is what the people who are doing this to me want,” answered the question of whether he plans to resign as a member of the National Assembly of the Slovak Republic. “Being a constitutional officer is the only thing that protects me,” he added. In connection with the claims of non-parliamentary Democrats about his “million” assets, he said that even before entering politics in 2014, he had a million euros in income.
“The above matter is being dealt with by the Office of Combating Organized Crime of the Presidium of the Police Force (PZ). Currently, it is not possible to provide more information.” responded to TASR’s question about the published video recording, Department of Communication and Prevention of the Presidium of the PZ.
Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer-SD) refused to comment further on the case after the exit meeting of the government in Velky Záluží. “Fall to whom you fall,” he declared. “If someone has committed a crime, it is the duty of law enforcement to act,” pointed out that the questions concerning MP Ferenčák should be directed to the Hlas-SD party. Investments Minister and former Ferenčák party colleague Samuel Migaľ (independent) believes that the deputy will explain all the details and the police will investigate the matter. He considers the timing and sequence of events after his expulsion from Voice-SD to be strange.
The vice-chairman of Hlas-SD and Minister of Education Tomáš Drucker thinks that the police should investigate and explain Ferenčák’s case. “From what I’ve seen in the media, it doesn’t look right at all,” he stated on the video recording after the government meeting. He added that Šutaj Eštok had already clearly rejected Ferenčák’s interpretation.
Hlas-SD expelled Ferenčák from its ranks last week. He left the Hlasu-SD parliamentary club at the end of last year. On Wednesday, he repeated that he does not feel bound by the coalition agreement or the government’s program statement.
