The recently leaked documents pointing to the misuse of power on the part of former Military Defence Intelligence (VOS) head and current Military Intelligence (VS) deputy director Róbert Tibenský between 2004 and 2008 must have been taken from a file in the archives that was considered a closed case, said Defence Minister Martin Glváč on Wednesday, June 12.
He was speaking after a meeting summoned by Slovak Democratic and Christian Union (SDKÚ) MP and head of the special parliamentary committee for the supervision of the VS Martin Fedor, who was given the document by the Sme daily. Glváč gave assurances that the matter was properly investigated back in 2010. "Tibenský underwent a security interview and a polygraph test, based on which [former prime minister and acting defence minister Iveta] Radičová confirmed him in his post as head of the [erstwhile] VOS," said Glváč, adding that if any doubts should emerge, he would cooperate fully with justice officials on the matter.
The document was reported on Tuesday by Sme, which reported that Tibenský was suspected of having abused his powers for his own enrichment. He was alleged to have been tasked with arranging the rental of four flats which were to be used by the secret services, but were then actually used for private purposes only. The alleged financial loss is estimated to exceed €66,000. The case comes hard on the heels of an unresolved scandal involving the now-merged Military Intelligence Service (VSS) and transfers of property between 2007 and 2010, during Prime Minister Robert Fico's first government (2006-10).
The document, dated February 2002 and headed 'Colonel Róbert Tibenský – Possible Misuse of Position and Power', was sent to the Sme daily by an anonymous person. "At the given time, Tibenský had an affair, and he needed to resolve his housing issue, as he had given his own flat over to his wife and children. This is how he nicely provided housing for himself and his lover in an expensive part of the city [of Bratislava]," the leaked document states, concerning one of the flats.
Sources: TASR, Sme
Compiled by Zuzana Vilikovská from press reports
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