The Chairman of the Specialized Criminal Court (ŠTS) Michal Truban filed a disciplinary proposal against ŠTS judge Pamela Záleská. Two of the five points of the proposal, according to Truban they relate to a serious disciplinary offense that is incompatible with the function of a judge. TASR’s submission of a disciplinary proposal was confirmed by court spokeswoman Iveta Pulman Erdélyiová. The Sme newspaper drew attention to it.
- The Chairman of the Specialized Criminal Court, Michal Truban, submitted a disciplinary proposal to Záleská.
- The proposal contains reservations about non-delivery of summons, indictment and protracted proceedings.
- Truban attributes to Záleska a misinterpretation of the evidence indicating an attempt to adapt it to their conclusion.
- The judge is also reproached for not respecting the legally binding opinion of the Constitutional Court.
- Prime Minister Robert Fico filed a criminal complaint against Záleská for alleged abuse of authority.
The disciplinary proposal from April 28 concerns, among other things failure to deliver the summons and indictment and causing a delay in the proceedings of at least 106 working days. Also, failure to issue a judgment, failure to request the president of the court to extend the deadline for drafting a decision and causing a delay in the proceedings to the extent of at least 62 working days.
For a serious disciplinary offense incompatible with the function of a judge Truban believes that “the evidence presented was misinterpreted in a very serious way, with suspicion indicating an attempt to adapt the content of the evidence to a pre-expected conclusion and thus to prejudices and doubts about the impartiality of the judge”. Also, misinterpretation of evidence in the decision to take into custody. According to the president of the court, the fifth point of the proposal concerns a serious disciplinary offense committed by disregarding the legally binding opinion of the Constitutional Court.
The Prime Minister of the Slovak Republic Robert Fico (Smer-SD) informed in April about the filing of a criminal complaint against Judge Záleská. He argued the suspicions of committing a criminal offense of abuse of authority of a public official when deciding on guilt and punishment for the former special prosecutor Dušan K. He also called for the submission of disciplinary proposals.
In response to the Prime Minister’s statements, Záleská stated that will not respond to the statements of politicians or defendants or their legal representatives. According to her, what is important for a judge is what is heard in the courtroom, and not at press conferences or in the media.
