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Slovak opposition continues protest against gov't officials over corruption allegations

Xinhua, July 19, 2016 Adjust font size:

Slovak opposition parties Freedom and Solidarity and OLaNO-NOVA on Monday continued protests in front of Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico's private flat in Bratislava.

Around 700 people attended the demonstration. Many of them hold red cards and called for the imprisonment of Interior Minister Robert Kalinak, who was accused of covering up for businessman Ladislav Basternak's alleged tax frauds.

The Slovak opposition parties have so far failed in its attempts to remove Kalinak via no-confidence motions in parliament. The two most recent motions were blocked by the Coalition in parliament. Meanwhile, Fico kept defending Kalinak as one of the most successful interior ministers in Slovakia's history, claiming that he is also enjoying support of foreign partners.

However, at a recent hearing in the European Parliament, French MEP Eva Joly doubted Kalinak's credibility and recommended him to give up his ministerial post over the Basternak case. Joly investigated corruption in France for years and she questions the independence of the investigation in Slovakia as long as Kalinak remains interior minister.

There has been a similar gathering every Monday since June 20. It is estimated up to 5,000 people attended previous demonstrations. Enditem