Head of the Slovak General Staff Peter Vojtek submitted a criminal complaint against Lieutenant Katarína Svrčeková, who is allegedly on very close terms with former Military Intelligence Service (VSS) director Roman Mikulec, for avoiding military service. According to him, Svrčeková refused to apply for a security clearance and at a meeting with journalists on June 13 she confessed that she acted with a specific purpose to leave the military, despite still being under valid contract, the TASR newswire reported on June 14.
“It is my duty to act if I have the suspicion that the law has been violated,” Vojted said, as quoted by TASR. “Avoiding military service is a crime – both during times of war and peace.”
Svrčeková has come forward in the wake of the ongoing case of alleged embezzlement at the VSS to allege that she was subjected to bullying, as she told the press on June 13. She said she believes that the treatment she received was directly related to the alleged embezzlement at the institution during Prime Minister Robert Fico’s first government (2006-10). The lieutenant claimed that she had no knowledge of the suspected corrupt practices, but she “became a target of pressure aimed at preventing the truth from becoming known”.
She went on to say that she believes she was targeted because she was a close friend of Mikulec, who led the VSS under Ľubomír Galko, a Freedom and Solidarity (SaS) nominee who was defence minister in 2010-11.
Meanwhile, the deputy head of the Military Intelligence, which was created after VSS merged with the Military Defence Intelligence (VOS), Robert Tibenský, is demanding that Svrčeková apologise for her accusations on June 14 levelled against him, which insinuated that he had been part of the ‘bullying’ she was subjected to at the VSS and later at its successor, VS. Tibenský wants her to submit criminal complaints against specific persons, otherwise, he will file a criminal complaint against her for libel.
Svrčeková responded she that will not apologise to Tibenský for what he describes as her lies about his involvement in the bullying. She also stressed that she will not submit any criminal complaints. Galko, who presented Svrčeková to the public, said that it is not surprising at all that those involved in the scandal are now trying to make someone who is a victim into an offender, TASR reported.
Meanwhile, Fico said during the political talk show O 5 Minút 12, broadcast by public-service Slovak Television (STV), on June 16 said that Svrčeková has violated all laws.
“She violated all existing laws by saying where she worked, in which structures and under whom – this is a violation of all the duties of a secret-service employee,” Fico said, as quoted by STV.
His partner in the discussion, Pavol Hrušovský from the Christian Democratic Movement (KDH), said that he was surprised to see people appearing at press conferences to reveal their identities and disclose safe places that are necessary for running the secret services.
“I was taken aback to see what is happening in this country, what certain people think they can allow themselves,” Hrušovský said. “If there is a well-based suspicion that somebody’s rights have been violated or that even a crime has occurred, it should be dealt with in a different manner, not by convening press conferences and calling on MPs: ‘Hey, I have also been there, I also know something! ’.”
Source: TASR, STV
For more information about this story please see: Former VSS official alleges bullying related to alleged embezzlement 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.
