Related releases

 

At today's press conference of the General Police Directorate, Aleksander Jevšek, Director of the Criminal Police Directorate, and Harij Furlan, Head of the Group of state prosecutors for the prosecution of organized crime at the Office of the State Prosecutor General of the Republic of Slovenia, described to the media the activities of the police as regards the investigation of several economic crime and corruption offences.

Jevsek FurlanHarij Furlan and Aleksander Jevšek


At the press conference Harij Furlan said that on 13. 2. 2008 the Group of state prosecutors for the prosecution of organized crime filed at the Ljubljana District Court a request for investigation against eight persons as there is reasonable ground to suspect that they committed criminal offences under Art. 247 and 248 of the Penal Code (unlawful giving and acceptance of gifts). Six persons are suspected of having given gifts and two persons of having accepted them in the public tender procedure for the construction of a new air-control tower at the Ljubljana Jože Pučnik Airport.

Seven persons were brought to the investigating magistrate for questioning shortly after 8 pm last night. After questioning the state prosecutor proposed that pre-trial detention be imposed to prevent influencing witnesses. The investigating magistrate ordered pre-trial detention for one person, while the other six were released. The prosecutor's proposal for pre-trial detention will be decided on by the pre-trial chamber.

One suspect was not brought before the investigating magistrate and was released on 12. 2. 2008 at 23.45 for claiming immunity. Mr Furlan pointed out that they had sent a request to the president of the National Council to waive the suspected councillor's immunity in accordance with Art. 26 of the Rules of Procedure of the National Council.

govorci

According to the police management, the activity of the officers, both criminal and uniformed, that participated in the operation (150 in total) was professional, legal and efficient. Mr. Aleksander Jevšek thanked all officers for very motivated and committed work. He also praised excellent cooperation between the police and Office of the State Prosecutor General of the Republic of Slovenia, Office for Money Laundering Prevention and Tax Administration of the Republic of Slovenia.

Mr Jevšek also said that this was by no means the end of the police activity. An even larger number of criminal investigators specialising in economic crime and corruption will continue working on this type of crime guided by the Group of state prosecutors for the prosecution of organized crime at the Office of the State Prosecutor General of the Republic of Slovenia.