Ličko ‘escapes’ Chad, returns to Slovakia

Jozef Ličko Jr, who was barred by the authorities in Chad from leaving the country, returned home to his family on March 16. He was described as having ‘escaped’ across the border to Cameroon, the Sme daily reported on March 20.

Jozef Ličko Jr, who was barred by the authorities in Chad from leaving the country, returned home to his family on March 16. He was described as having ‘escaped’ across the border to Cameroon, the Sme daily reported on March 20.

“We were afraid for his life,” said his father, Jozef Ličko Sr, as quoted by Sme. “From Slovak diplomats we learned that they had done everything they could. We [the family] provided the Cameroonian visa to him, and he literally escaped through Cameroon. The diplomats did not help us; we had to help ourselves.”

Ličko went to Chad last year as an employee of HONTstav, the main subcontractor to another firm, Soliinvest, which had received a contract to construct a football stadium in the country’s capital, N’Djamena. At the end of last December Soliinvest lodged a complaint against its Slovak partner with Chad’s prosecution office, saying it “doubted the company’s plans”.

Based on the complaint, the country’s authorities issued a ruling that banned Ličko from leaving Chad until the case was resolved. His movements within the country were not limited.

“He could not depart from Chad, because of the ban,” Ličko Sr told Sme. “At the airport, and even on the plane, they checked Slovak diplomats [to prevent my] son from leaving.”

Ličko received the visa thanks to a Libyan colleague. He had to use a taxi, motorbikes as well as a bus, by which he travelled about 500 kilometres to Chad’s border with Cameroon. After crossing the border he took a flight back to Europe, Sme wrote.

Source: Sme

For more information about this story please see: Chad promises answers in Ličko case

Compiled by Radka Minarechová from press reports
The Slovak Spectator cannot vouch for the accuracy of the information presented in its Flash News postings.

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