Police Drop Investigation into Interior Minister's Formula 1 Trip After Partner Claims She Paid Cash

Slovak police have closed their investigation into Interior Minister Matúš Šutaj Eštok's attendance at a Formula 1 race, ruling that no criminal offense was committed. An investigator from the Office for the Fight Against Organized Crime declined for a second time to pursue criminal charges against the minister, concluding that the trip did not constitute the improper acceptance of an undue advantage. The case centered on Šutaj Eštok's attendance at the Formula 1 Grand Prix in December 2024. His partner reportedly testified during the investigation that she personally paid for all expenses in cash, which formed the basis for dismissing the case. The opposition party Demokrati, along with live broadcasts from sports television channels, had originally drawn attention to the minister's presence at the race, raising questions about who funded the trip. Šutaj Eštok leads Hlas-SD, a center-left party that is part of Slovakia's ruling coalition under Prime Minister Robert Fico. Allegations that a senior minister may have received a luxury trip as a gift from undisclosed sources prompted calls for accountability from opposition parties. With police now closing the case a second time, the matter appears to have reached its legal conclusion, though the episode is likely to remain a point of political criticism against the government.