High-Profile Očistec Corruption Trial Set to Begin Monday After Four-Year Delay

A major corruption trial involving prominent Slovak political figures is scheduled to begin Monday, more than four years after charges were filed. The Očistec case centers on allegations against Norbert Bödör, a powerful oligarch from the Nitra region, and Tibor Gašpar, deputy speaker of Slovakia's parliament and a member of the ruling Smer-SD party. The case is considered extremely sensitive for Smer-SD, Slovakia's dominant social-democratic party that has governed the country for most of the past two decades. However, uncertainty surrounds whether the proceedings will actually commence as planned, despite the scheduled first day of hearings. The Očistec investigation represents one of several high-profile corruption cases that have shaken Slovak politics in recent years, particularly targeting figures connected to the ruling party.