By: Celjski glasnik
For almost 30 years, Slovenia witnessed a legal process in which even a political figure was prosecuted simply because he sold private land at a higher price than he had originally bought it for.
The case would not have been unusual for Slovenian courts if the president of SDS, Janez Janša, had not been involved, and if the proceedings had not become politically relevant before every election. Even more unusual is the fact that the case was initiated at all, as many pointed out that the situation represented completely normal behaviour in the economic world.
In recent years as well, the Trenta affair resurfaced whenever elections approached, and the legal proceedings were most active at those times. But after 30 years, the Higher Court has now upheld the first‑instance ruling and acquitted all those involved of all charges. Nevertheless, some remain convinced that this was a textbook example of corruption. Even though the defendants were acquitted, people still have not received an answer to the concrete claims that any deal in Ljubljana and Slovenia can be arranged for 10% if the correct government is in power.
In light of the court’s decision, Ivan Simič points out another important fact, one that Slovenia will struggle to accept with its current judicial system: “An acquittal after 30 years means there was no corruption. Now the person who filed the criminal complaint must bear criminal and civil responsibility. Even in tax procedures, we have a large number of rulings that serve as evidence of deliberate issuance of unlawful decisions. These individuals must be held accountable.”
