Former Slovenian prime minister faces new charge

A new charge has been added to the case against former Slovenian Premier Janez Jansa, local media reported on Friday. The latest charge raised by the National Bureau of Investigation was connected with an allegation that Jansa may have arranged a series of deals to benefit himself and two property businessmen. During his premiership, Jansa sold land in July 2005 in the picturesque Trenta Valley to real estate developer Eurogradnje for 130,000 euros (178,945 U.S. dollars), 10 times of its estimated value, the POP TV report said, quoting the anti-graft watchdog. Jansa purchased an apartment in Ljubljana with the proceeds, the report added. The Democrats, the largest opposition party in Slovenia under the leadership of Jansa, claimed that the allegations were "completely fabricated." For now, whether to initiate a court investigation is yet to be decided, according to POP TV. Jansa, 54, was convicted in June by the Ljubljana Local Court on charges of taking bribes from Finnish defense contractor Patria for the purchase of 135 armored vehicles for the Slovenian army. He was sentenced to two-year imprisonment, according to the verdict by the court. Jansa served as prime minister of Slovenia from 2004 to 2008. He took the post again between February 2012 and March 2013.