8.  On 20 December 1996 the applicant was accused of an offence of attempting to sell explosives. 9.  On 28 January 1997 he was arrested in the context of the criminal proceedings. On 30 January 1997 a judge ordered his release. 10.  On 3 February 1997 the Minister of the Interior dismissed the applicant from the police. The decision referred to the conclusions reached by the Police Corps Inspection Office according to which the applicant had offered to sell explosives, and that on 8 June 1996 he had driven a car in which the police later found explosives. 11.  On 26 March 1997 an expert opinion on the applicant’s mental health was submitted to the Žilina Regional Office of Investigation in the context of the criminal proceedings. 12.  On 28 May 1997 the Žilina Regional Prosecutor indicted the applicant, charging him with two offences of involvement in the unauthorised transport of explosives before the Žilina Regional Court. 13.  On 11 June 1997 the case was assigned to a different judge as the judge to whom the case had originally fallen to be examined was an acquaintance of the applicant. 14.  On 25 November 1997 the Regional Court judge requested the Prievidza District Court to submit decisions concerning one of the accused. 15.  On 16 April 1999 the Regional Court returned the case to the public prosecutor for further investigation. The prosecutor appealed on 27 April 1999. On 11 May 1999 the case was submitted to the Supreme Court. On 18 August 1999 the latter quashed the Regional Court’s decision of 16 April 1999 and ordered the first instance court to proceed with the case. The case file was returned to the Regional Court on 11 October 1999. 16.  A hearing scheduled for 12 January 2000 had to be adjourned as one of the accused persons’ lawyers was absent. 17.  Hearings were held on 17 February 2000, on 10 March 2000, on 16 June 2000 and on 27 July 2000. The case was adjourned as it was necessary to hear further witnesses. 18.  On 13 September 2000 and on 26 October 2000 the case had to be adjourned as witnesses failed to appear. 19.  On 29 November 2000 the Regional Court heard three witnesses. The case was adjourned as the court considered it necessary to hear another witness in respect of whom an arrest warrant had been issued. On 1 and 22 December 2000 and on 3 April 2001 the Regional Court asked the police to establish the whereabouts of the witness. 20.  On 14 February 2001 the president of the Žilina Regional Court informed the applicant that the case had not been proceeded with in January 2001 as the presiding judge was ill. 21.  On 10 May 2001 the Žilina Regional Court acquitted the applicant. On 17 August 2001 the public prosecutor appealed. One of the applicant’s co-accused also filed an appeal. The case file was transmitted to the Supreme Court on 27 August 2001. On 15 November 2001 one of the accused submitted observations on the public prosecutor’s appeal. 22.  A hearing before the Supreme Court scheduled for 12 December 2001 was cancelled. 23.  On 30 January 2002 the Supreme Court dismissed the appeals. The decision became final on the same day.