Local head of the Smer-SD party and mayor of Nova Dubnica, Peter Marusinec, has been arrested on charges of fraud and extorting around EUR 160,000 from the local labour office.
The charges concern a case where a group of five defrauded subsidies from the labour office for training that never took place. The other accused are Ivan Liska, husband of Smer-SD MP Iveta Liskova, two Koreans who owned the company receiving the subsidy, and the accountant at the firm.
Following the accusations, Marusinec resigned from his post in the party and surrendered his membership so as to avoid the party any embarrassment, but given the involvement of those closely linked to the party, that might not be possible. The party said it will also be investigating the affair.