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Fico Criticises Journalists for "Terrorising Dead Father and Grandfather"
Thursday 10 December 2009 Zoom in | Print page
Bratislava, December 10 (TASR) - Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico called on journalists at a press conference on Thursday to stop attacking his family, saying that he is their target and not his wife, mother, son or deceased father and grandfather.
Fico thus reacted to the interest of an unnamed daily regarding the inheritance file of his father and grandfather. Fico said that this inquiry represents an effort to "terrorise the dead".
"The trauma you are causing not so much to me, but to my family and relatives is truly deep," said Fico of the media's efforts to research his family inheritance file via the district court in Topolcany.
He called on journalists to stop digging into the past of his dead father, a worker from Topolcany (Nitra region), as well as his grandfather, a farmer, for they will never find anything of substance. "This is the greatest outrage ever, the kind I've never seen before," said Fico, adding that not even the filthiest swine in the world would do such a thing. "Come on, shoot at me from dawn to dusk - I'm your target."
Fico was also upset over the current issue of Plus Sedem Dni magazine that states that Fico's relatives are quite well-off by virtue of their Slovak Land Fund (SPF) posts. Meanwhile, Fico has dismissed all top representatives from SPF in the wake of the recent land transfer scandal.
He likened the press to the Mafia, and said he is intent on protecting himself against any untrue claims by legal means – as was introduced in the amended Press Act last year.
On this same theme, Premier Fico said that the Slovak press has misrepresented his speech at the ceremonial Smer-SD party convention on Sunday.
In his lambasting of the Slovak media, he also pointed out that there was no media coverage of a meeting of press representatives last week in which the press allegedly discussed their joint action against the Government. "They (the press) have agreed on how the dailies should act if certain information surfaces, how to mutually share such information and support each other in writing the same headlines and same articles on a single topic," claimed Fico. He added that no proof of this conspiracy is needed – all one needs to do is read the newspapers.
According to the Slovak Premier, the press has taken up the role of the political Opposition and does the dirty work on its behalf - a phenomenon unheard of in any democratic society. Fico said the journalists constantly lie, mislead the public and twist the truth.
Having been heated in his remarks, Fico apologised for being emotional; however, the way the press has proceeded in investigating the inheritance file has crossed the line, he said.
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