Slovak President Ivan Gašparovič has shown an interest in the case of alleged embezzlement at the former Military Intelligence Service (VSS), asking for information from Defence Minister Martin Glváč.
“He personally met Martin Glváč regarding this matter and asked him for a thorough investigation of the suspicions,” the president’s spokesman, Marek Trubač, told the SITA newswire on Tuesday, May 28. “The president also agreed with the minister that the latter would update him on the development of the investigation.”
A 134-page report published by the Sme daily alleged large-scale embezzlement of public funds by employees at the VSS under the first Fico government (2006-10); Sme says it received the document anonymously, and that it is probably based on an internal investigation into the VSS that started under Ľubomír Galko, who was defence minister in 2010-11.
The report includes information about the purchase and reconstruction of an expensive residential property in Bratislava which the state later sold at a loss to a former VSS officer. Both of the then heads of the two military intelligence agencies – Juraj Šebo of the VSS and Ľubomír Skuhra of the Military Defence Intelligence (VOS) counter-intelligence agency – allegedly knew about the transactions. The VSS and VOS have since been merged into a single agency, Military Intelligence (VS), now led by Skuhra.
Glváč insists there was no embezzlement. However, at a Tuesday session of the special parliamentary committee to oversee the activities of the VS, three former and one current military intelligence officials testified about the suspicions.
Sources: SITA, Sme
Compiled by Zuzana Vilikovská from press reports
The Slovak Spectator cannot vouch for the accuracy of the information presented in its Flash News postings.
