Slovak Central Bank Governor Appeals Corruption Conviction

Peter Kazimir, the Slovak central bank governor and European Central Bank policymaker, has appealed against a criminal court's corruption conviction. Found guilty of bribing a tax official during his tenure as finance minister, Kazimir insists on his innocence as political dynamics complicate his reappointment.

Slovak central bank governor and European Central Bank policymaker, Peter Kazimir, has filed an appeal challenging his recent corruption conviction. The country's Specialised Criminal Court ruled in May that Kazimir faces a 200,000-euro fine or a year in prison, a decision he contests.

Kazimir, who maintains his innocence, had immediately announced plans to appeal. His lawyer, Ondrej Mularcik, confirmed on Wednesday that the appeal has been lodged with a higher court, critiquing the verdict as legally unsound and poorly justified. The case stems from accusations that Kazimir, while finance minister from 2012 to 2019, bribed the head of the national tax administration.

Kazimir currently retains his position at the central bank, albeit his term expired in June. The political backdrop is tense, with Prime Minister Robert Fico opposing his reappointment due to perceived disloyalty, despite backing from President Peter Pellegrini's coalition.

(With inputs from agencies.)