Slovak central bank governor Kazimir guilty of corruption, court rules

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Slovak central bank governor Kazimir guilty of corruption, court rules

Peter Kazimir, governor of Slovakia’s central bank, attending a press conference in Bratislava in 2016.

Tomas Benedikovic | Afp | Getty Images

A Slovak court ruled on Thursday that central bank governor and European Central Bank policymaker Peter Kazimir is guilty of corruption, a judge said.

The Specialised Criminal Court ruled Kazimir must pay a 200,000 euro ($225,620) fine, or face a one-year prison sentence, Judge Milan Cisarik said.

The verdict can be appealed and therefore does not force Kazimir out of office.

Kazimir, who is a member of the ECB’s rate-setting governing council, did not attend the ruling while on a business trip to Hong Kong.

He said in a pre-recorded message played by Slovak TA3 television before the ruling that he maintained his innocence, and was also of the opinion that his case should have been dismissed based on the statute of limitations.

He said in the message that he would appeal any guilty verdict to a higher court.

The case dates back to Kazimir’s previous position as finance minister before he became the central bank’s chief in 2019.

Kazimir’s current six-year term ends on June 1, but he is expected to stay on, in line with the law, until a decision on whether he will be granted another term or replaced.

Slovak central bank governors are nominated by the government, approved by parliament and appointed by the president.

Prosecutors allege that while Kazimir was finance minister in 2012-2019, he delivered a 48,000-euro bribe to the then head of the national tax administration to influence tax proceedings.

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