Slovak minister: central bank's Kazimir must decide whether to stay in role

PRAGUE - Slovak Finance Minister Igor Matovic said on Wednesday it was up to central bank Governor and European Central Bank policymaker Peter Kazimir himself to decide whether he would stay in his post after prosecutors charged him with bribery.

Kazimir denied wrongdoing on Tuesday and said he would defend himself against the charges.

"He should consider himself what he had done or not," Igor Matovic said in a footage of comments to Slovak reporters sent to Reuters by the ministry. "It is a serious accusation, and if it were true, then of course he should not stay at his post."

"It has to be his free decision in this situation, because you don't have a way to solve it otherwise."