Nadácia Zastavme Korupciu (Stop Corruption Foundation) has initiated a public fundraiser in collaboration with the crowdfunding platform Donio.sk to aid former police investigators and a prosecutor who are facing intimidation and financial pressures after being targeted by Fico’s government.
The campaign supports ranking police investigators, including Ján Čurilla and Pavol Ďurka, formerly of the National Criminal Agency (NAKA), a pivotal institution in Slovakia’s anti-corruption efforts, dismantled by the government of Prime Minister Fico. This dissolution is widely seen as an attempt to weaken investigators probing corruption cases tied to Fico’s previous administration and its affiliates.
According to the foundation, the investigators’ commitment to exposing corruption at all levels, regardless of the targets’ political or social standing, placed them in the crosshairs of the current government. Minister of interior Šutaj Eštok’s decision to dismiss the officers has left them without income, unable to seek employment, and burdened with mounting legal costs.
Stop Corruption Foundation director Zuzana Petková described the situation as a critical moment for Slovakia’s civil society: “We must stand by those unafraid to confront corruption and abuse of power, even at personal cost, much like citizens stood against authoritarianism in 1989.” She also affirmed the investigators’ determination to resume their work fighting corruption and organised crime once their names are cleared.
This is the second fundraiser following the depletion of a previous campaign that supported the investigators for a year. Ninety percent of the funds raised will supplement their incomes to provide financial stability, while ten percent will cover legal fees. The recipients have committed to returning or donating the funds if they succeed in their legal defence and obtain restitution for lost earnings.
Implications for the Rule of Law
The dismantling of NAKA and the targeting of its investigators raise serious concerns about state interference in judicial independence and anti-corruption efforts. Notably, the fact that individuals can sustain themselves through crowdfunding highlights the remarkable resilience and strength of Slovak civil society. This resilience is increasingly under threat, as Fico’s government has placed civil society organisations in its crosshairs, with plans for legislative moves aimed at defunding or imposing restrictions on their operations.
