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Slovak Interior Minister survives No-Confidence motion

Xinhua, June 8, 2016 Adjust font size:

Slovak Interior Minister Robert Kalinak will retain his post, as only 58 MPs out of 138 present voted for his ouster in the Parliament on late Tuesday, according to the report by local news wire TASR.

His dismissal requested opposition parties Freedom and Solidarity and Ordinary People due to his alleged involvement in the Basternak tax case.

The case revolves around a Bratislava apartment complex called Five Star Residence, which was built by a company owned by entrepreneur Marian Kocner. Firm of another entrepreneur Ladislav Basternak allegedly purchased seven flats for 12 million euros (13.6 million U.S. dollars) and subsequently applied for and received an excessive VAT tax allowance worth 2 million euros.

The Slovak Cabinet rejects the idea of dismissing Kalinak from his post.

"I regret that in such a short period after the Cabinet was set up there's so much hatred and aversion towards the Government. We didn't expect to have the 100 days that are traditionally at one's disposal, but we also didn't expect to be so unreasonably attacked during our preparations for Slovakia's Presidency of the Council of the EU," announced Prime Minister Robert Fico in his speech.

Fico emphasised that Kalinak is the longest-serving interior minister in Slovakia's modern history and evaluated the Opposition's move as a misuse of a case in favour of a political struggle.

"The case is being properly investigated. The minister isn't superior to investigators, nor can he intervene in an investigation. Let's stop this nonsensical spectacle. Let's talk about what we're going to do if Britain decides to leave the EU," stressed Fico. Endit