The case of Jaromir Ruda and Stanislav Furda, who are accused of embezzling funds intended for the Deaflympics in Slovakia back in 2011, has seen new evidence submitted, after a hearing today at the Regional Court in Banska Bystrica.
Ruda was president of the Slovak Deaflympics Committee, which was to organise the 17th Winter Deaflympic Games in the High Tatras, but the games eventually had to be cancelled just one week before they were due to take place, tarnishing Slovakia’s image abroad. In June 2011 Ruda and Furda were sentenced to 13 and 14 years behind bars for embezzling around EUR 1.6 million along, but an appeal drew the case out with a retrial called in January 2012.
The case looks set to be classed under commercial law instead of criminal law, which would change the whole situation. “This is the alpha and omega of the case” TASR newswire cites lawyer of one of the defendants as saying, and that the Regional Court seems to hold the same opinion. Ruda and Furda may therefore avoid severe sentences for the failed Deaflympics, which smashed the hopes of sportspeople from all over the world, some of whom had already arrived in Slovakia, and all of whom lost a lot of money thanks to the fiasco.
Be very careful Slovakia – the world is watching. If this turns into yet another Rix Farce and these two aren’t hammered by the courts this country will not be asked to host any further sporting events.
If it is not an offence to bring your country into disrepute then maybe it should be.
errrrm …..tarnishing Slovakia’s image abroad……..???
Does Slovakia even have any actual `image` to tarnish . Most people I speak to haven`t a clue where in Europe Slovakia …most think it is in the old Yugoslavia. ie ..Slovenia. The News from most major media outlets always just avoids Slovakia, because nothing ever seems to happen here …well unless some Aryan nutter starts some target practice in the capital city .
Yet this puffed up, self important country actually believes it has some influence in the EU, the World, the Planet ………so summon the Syrian Ambassador someone and all they way from Vienna, I want to spank him bum and tell him he has been a very naughty boy !
Errors have been made. Be sure Others will be blamed!