Former head of the private TA3 news channel Michal Gučík will ask for €750,000 in financial compensation even though he received an official apology from current Defence Minister Martin Glváč. Yet, Gučík, who was, along with other three journalists, wiretapped by the former management of the Military Defence Intelligence (VOS) last year, claims that he will not keep the money if the courts rule in his favour, the SITA newswire wrote on August 24.
“I said that it is not about the money; money is only the pretext for something to happen,” Gučík as, as quoted by SITA, adding that there will surely be a court proceeding.
During the meeting Glváč promised Gučík that the lawyers will respond to the request for compensation by September 15. The minister cannot tell him directly why he was wiretapped, spokesperson for Slovakia’s Armed Forces, Milan Vanga, told SITA.
“Minister Glváč guarantees that no similar events will happen during his term,” Vanga added.
The wiretapping case first appeared in the media last November. The VOS was bugging one of Gučík’s cell phones, as well as the conversations of several journalists working for the Pravda daily. The whole case resulted in the resignation of then defence minister Ľubomír Galko, nominated by the Freedom and Solidarity (SaS) party.
Source: SITA
By Radka Minarechová from press reports
The Slovak Spectator cannot vouch for the accuracy of the information presented in its Flash News postings.
