Interior Minister Matúš Šutaj Eštok (source: TASR)
Interior Minister and Hlas party leader Matúš Šutaj Eštok has suspended Matej Varga, the former head of the National Crime Agency (NAKA)’s eastern branch, from duty. From 28 July, Varga has been barred from reporting to the District Police Directorate in Prešov, where he was reassigned after NAKA was dissolved last September.
The decision follows charges filed earlier this summer by investigator Peter Dubovický of the Interior Ministry’s police inspectorate. Varga is accused of sabotage and of undermining Slovakia’s constitutional system, allegedly for initiating surveillance of General Prosecutor Maroš Žilinka and his deputy, Jozef Kandera, in 2022, during the prosecution of opposition leader Robert Fico – now serving his fourth term as prime minister.
Although the charges are not final, the ministry argues that allowing Varga to remain in service would be against the public interest. Prosecutor Juraj Figula has questioned whether the alleged acts amount to a crime and has already rejected a request for Varga’s pre-trial detention.
Varga was released in the early hours of 3 July after a judge ruled that his detention was unjustified. He had been arrested in Prešov, but instead of being held locally, he was transferred to central Slovakia and placed in a cell in Podbrezová. After his release, police drove him to Brezno, where his wife collected him.
At the time, Varga had neither his identity documents nor his wallet. According to him, police inspectorate investigator Kevin Dlabaj refused to allow him to take them during his arrest, claiming they constituted evidence and insisting he would not need them as he would not be freed.
However, the court order authorising a search of Varga’s office made no mention of a wallet or documents. Instead, investigators were instructed to look for computers, USB sticks, external drives or other data carriers that could contain evidence. “The wallet was never on the list,” his lawyer, Peter Kubina, pointed out.
Critics argue that the suspension is politically motivated. Juraj Šeliga of Demokrati, an opposition party, called it “revenge”. Kubina described the decision as unlawful and warned it would add to the state’s liability for damages.
Like several other anti-corruption NAKA officers – including Ján Čurilla, Branislav Dunčko and Pavol Ďurka - suspended since Šutaj Eštok took office in late 2023, Varga must remain at home during working hours and is subject to random checks, including alcohol tests. Suspended officers are paid only the minimum wage, with limited family allowances.
The Interior Ministry has already been fined over its suspensions of Čurilla and his colleagues, with the Office for the Protection of Whistleblowers ordering penalties totalling more than €90,000. The ministry is contesting the fines in court but has already been forced to pay.
The Varga case remains under review by the Košice Regional Prosecutor’s Office.
