Ex-police chief Tibor Gašpar. (source: SME - Jozef Jakubčo)
The National Crime Agency (NAKA) today detained Tibor Gašpar, a former national police chief who is now a highly ranked candidate on the Smer party’s slate for the September election.
Alleged corruption is cited as the reason for his arrest.
It was Gašpar’s son, Pavol, who shared the news on Facebook on Friday morning. His online message went on to attack the police, the Special Prosecutor’s Office and’ Slovakia's president.
The police later confirmed Gašpar Sr.'s arrest.
Hungary's Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó also commented on the arrest on Facebook. He spoke of a global 'hunt' for politicians who opposed the 'liberal mainstream'.
The ex-police chief's name has already appeared in connection in the so-called Očistec (Purgatory) case, in which he currently faces charges. Prosecutors allege that oligarch Norbert Bödör headed an organised crime group that controlled the police. The entrepreneur is believed to have founded the group with Gašpar, who was appointed police chief by a government led by Smer party leader Robert Fico in 2012. He stepped down six years later following the murder of investigative journalist Ján Kuciak and public pressure.
Bödör is facing corruption charges in the Purgatory and Dobytkár (Cattle-breeder) cases. The latter concerns corruption in the Agricultural Payment Agency and the oligarch is accused of money laundering.
Tibor Gašpar was appointed police chief by a government led by Smer party leader Robert Fico in 2012. He stepped down in 2018 following a series of massive Kuciak protests. (source: SME - Jozef Jakubčo)
