Slovak usurer oppressing Romanies sent to prison

An usurer who claimed inadequately high interests for loans he used to provide to Romanies in Zilina for several years will spend three years behind bars, the regional court has decided, Igrid Samajova from the district prosecutor’ office told CTK today.

"The usurer used to lend money to socially weak people living in Bratislavska street in Zilina, asking interests reaching sometimes up to 100 percent," Samajova said.

Last year, one of the local Romanies reported to the prosecutor having borrowed 2,000 Slovak crowns from the usurer in 2004 and the usurer demanding him to return 70,000 Slovak crowns recently.

Subsequently, several more cases were reported by other Romanies.The usurer did not hesitate to use violence when exacting the money from his debtors, Samajova said.

The usurer was previously convicted of bribery. He had offered a bribe to a police officer in exchange for notifying him in advance of police actions aimed against usury, Samajova said.

The abuse of Romanies by usurers is a long-lasting problem in Slovakia.

According to available information, the police manage to clarify only several dozen of such cases annually.
The Romany victims of usurers usually fear to give testimony to police or even testify in favour of the usurers for fear of them.

Czech media have reported recently that hundreds of Romanies who have escaped usurers in Slovakia are hiding in the Czech Republic.