Court in Slovakia upholds tax fraud verdict against former President Kiska

An appeals tribunal successful Slovakia has upheld a little tribunal ruling that recovered erstwhile President Andrej Kiska blameworthy of taxation fraud and fixed him a suspended sentence

BRATISLAVA, Slovakia -- An appeals tribunal successful Slovakia connected Thursday upheld a little tribunal ruling that recovered erstwhile President Andrej Kiska blameworthy of taxation fraud and gave him a suspended sentence.

At nan aforesaid time, nan location tribunal successful nan eastbound metropolis of Presov lowered nan original suspended condemnation from 2 years to one, dismissed a good of 15,000 euros (about $16,300) handed to Kiska past twelvemonth by nan region tribunal successful nan metropolis of Poprad and cancelled a six-year prohibition connected doing business.

The verdict is last but Kiska said connected Facebook he will usage an bonzer situation astatine nan country’s Supreme Court to effort to clear his name.

Kiska, 61, who pleaded not guilty, became nan country’s first erstwhile president to beryllium tried and sentenced.

The lawsuit dates backmost to 2014 erstwhile Kiska was moving for president. At nan time, he was a successful businessman-turned-philanthropist and a governmental newcomer.

According to nan court, Kiska illegally included taxation receipts from nan statesmanlike run successful nan books of his KTAG family company.

Such activities were not portion of nan firm’s business.

KTAG done Kiska’s subordinate Eduard Kuckovsky past claimed a taxation return worthy much than 155,000 euros (about $168,300).

Kiska hit populist then-Prime Minister Robert Fico successful nan title to go nan country’s president for a five-year word successful nan mostly ceremonial post. Kiska’s word successful agency was marked by clashes pinch Fico, whose leftist Smer, aliases Direction, statement was tarnished by corruption scandals.

Kiska supported immense thoroughfare protests that led to nan fall of Fico’s conjugation authorities successful 2018 amid a governmental situation triggered by nan slaying past twelvemonth of an investigative newsman looking into imaginable wide authorities corruption.

Pro-West Kiska did not tally for a 2nd five-year word successful 2019.

Last year, Fico and his Smer statement won nan parliamentary predetermination and struck a woody pinch 2 different parties to shape a caller government.