Slovak Interior Minister Matúš Eštok faced intense scrutiny after attending the Formula 1 Grand Prix in Abu Dhabi in December 2024, where a luxury trip involving approximately 12,500 eur v hotovosti (asi 310 000 korun) in cash payments for flights and a Dubai hotel stay sparked a police investigation into potential corruption.
The Abu Dhabi VIP Trip and Luxury Expenses
According to available information, Interior Minister Matúš Eštok and his partner were captured on camera in December 2024 inside the exclusive VIP zone at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, rubbing shoulders with racing drivers and notable personalities. Access to these areas is notoriously expensive. “I even met Brad Pitt there,” the minister boasted after returning home, according to source reporting.
Financial records and local reporting indicate the couple paid roughly 12,5 tisíce eur—about 310 000 korun—for their flights in cash. They stayed at a luxury hotel in Dubai, which was also settled using physical banknotes. According to reports, the minister’s partner personally delivered the cash directly to both the travel agency and the hotel reception desk.
Free VIP Tickets and the Source of Funds
While the travel costs were substantial, the VIP race tickets themselves were reportedly obtained for free. Eštok stated that he and his partner received the entry passes directly from the president of the Slovak Motor Sports Association. The Slovak daily newspaper SME previously estimated the market value of those specific passes between sedm až patnáct tisíc eur, translating to roughly 175 až 375 tisíc korun.
Despite the high profile of the trip, the exact origin of the money used to fund the luxury getaway remained unclear. This financial ambiguity prompted the non-parliamentary party Demokrati to file a formal complaint with law enforcement, warning of potential undue advantage. The political opposition argued that if an outside party covered the expenses, the official could face expectations of a political return favor—essentially pointing toward a possible bribe.
Police Investigation and Counter-Arguments
Investigators initially closed the case in May of last year. However, following repeated complaints and pressure from opposition politicians, the prosecutor’s office demanded the investigation be reopened and expanded.
During the renewed probe, police summoned the minister’s partner for questioning. She testified that the couple funded the vacation entirely out of personal savings accumulated over time. Law enforcement ultimately accepted this explanation. “Following the investigation, no facts were established that should lead to criminal proceedings,” the Presidium of the Police Force of the Slovak Republic stated when officially closing the case for a second time.
Eštok’s public defense shifted over the course of the inquiry. Initially, the minister justified the trip by citing official business, claiming he held work meetings with the president of the International Automobile Federation to discuss cybersecurity in sports and road safety. It later emerged, however, that his counterpart was actually the head of the Slovak Motor Sports Association. Eštok subsequently adjusted his argument, maintaining that the journey was entirely private and self-financed.
The organization asserted that the flight tickets were actually settled in cash several days after the couple returned from the trip. This timeline supports an alternative theory that the pair received the money from an anonymous donor during the holiday itself, raising persistent questions about what the benefactor expected in return.
In response to the newly surfaced timeline, the foundation filed a formal complaint demanding that an independent investigator review the file. Interior Minister Eštok did not publicly comment on the anti-corruption organization’s latest assertions.
Frequently Asked Questions
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When did Interior Minister Matúš Eštok take the disputed trip?
According to source material, the trip took place in December 2024 during the Formula 1 races in Abu Dhabi. -
Why did police investigate the vacation?
Law enforcement launched an inquiry following a formal complaint by the opposition party Demokrati, which suspected the luxury travel and VIP access might constitute an unearned advantage or bribe. -
How did the police ultimately resolve the case?
Police closed the investigation after accepting the explanation from the minister’s partner that the trip was paid for using personal savings. - The foundation claimed that flight bookings were paid for in cash several days after the couple returned home, fueling suspicions of an outside donor.
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