BRATISLAVA: The former and current chiefs of Slovakia’s spy agency and 5 other police and intelligence officers have been accused of criminal conspiracy and abuse of power in a scandal that an ex-leader called a police coup ahead of an upcoming snap election.
Stefan Hamran said the chief of the National Security Authority (NSA) and the former chief of the spy agency SIS also face abuse of power allegations in a similar but separate case.
In the first case, Hamran said the 7 conspired as a criminal group under a businessman identified as Peter K to obstruct probe in corruption cases that date to the tenure of former leftist Prime Minister Robert Fico before 2020, according to media reports.
As a result of their actions, 4 investigators from the National Criminal Agency (NCA) were detained and accused of manipulating testimonies until a court dismissed the charge.
In the second case, the two are accused of conspiring to get rid of officers in the security authority, which issues clearances enabling officials to access classified information.
Slovakia is divided ahead of the snap election. Fico, who desires to return to power, has charged that such a step so close to the election will harm his party and the opposition. His opponents are calling the police to probe the allegations.
Fico termed the development a “police coup” and called for the dismissal of Hamran. He also demanded an extraordinary setting of Parliament to discuss the matter.
President Zuzana Caputova is to hold a meeting with members of the caretaker government on Friday to discuss the announcement.
Political Situation in Slovakia
Fico’s leftist party Smer-Social Democracy lost the 2020 polls and was replaced by a coalition government whose parties contested the election on an anti-corruption ticket.
Since the new government took control, a number of top officials, judges, prosecutors, police officers, politicians, and businessmen have been charged with corruption and other crimes.
