Supreme Court chairman Stefan Harabin could see his annual salary slashed by 70% if the Constitutional Court rules in favour of a petition from justice minister Lucia Zitnanska calling for disciplinary action against Harabin.
On Wednesday 10 May the Constitutional Court adjourned a plenary session on the petition until 15 June, at which Zitnanska is hoping the court will hold Harabin personally responsible for repeatedly not allowing the Ministry of Finance to conduct an audit at the Supreme Court.
Last summer after the new government coalition got into power, the Ministry of Finance led by Ivan Miklos wanted to carry out an audit of Harabin’s Supreme Court, but Harabin refused several times, with the situation leading to a series of lawsuits between Harabin and his opponents Miklos and Zitnanska.
Miklos tried to impose a EUR 33,000 fine on Harabin for his actions, but at the end of April the Supreme Court ruled itself upheld a ruling of Bratislava Regional Court that the Ministry of Finance did not have the jurisdiction to carry out audits at the Supreme Court, thus rejecting Miklos’ appeal and clearing Harabin of the fine.