Former Slovak President Andrej Kiska loses pension after fraud conviction

BRATISLAVA, Slovakia (AP) — Slovakia’s presidential office says has stopped sending pension payments to former President Andrej Kiska because of his tax fraud conviction. Kiska says he’ll challenge the move. The presidential office says its halt in payments was triggered by an appeals court’s verdict on Oct 31 that upheld a lower court ruling that found Kiska guilty of tax fraud and gave him one-year suspended sentence. The verdict is final but Kiska said he will use an extraordinary challenge at the country’s Supreme Court to try to clear his name. Kiska says he doesn’t need the money but will challenge the office’s decision in court because it’s a matter of principle for him.