A Slovak court sentenced oligarch Jozef Brhel and his son to probation for stealing millions from state IT contracts, raising concerns about the leniency of economic crime penalties.
In a recent ruling by Slovakia's specialized criminal court, oligarch Jozef Brhel and his son received a four-year suspended sentence along with a monetary penalty totaling 2.7 million euros for their involvement in economic crime linked to state IT contracts. This decision sparked outrage among anti-corruption activists and the general public as it highlights the perceived leniency of Slovak laws regarding economic crimes, especially following amendments pushed by the Smer party, which previously were expected to impose harsher sentences of 12 to 20 years for such offenses. The ruling effectively sends a message that significant financial gains from crime may outweigh the consequences faced by offenders.
