Government ignored mafia warnings for years, claims President

Members of the Government have ignored warnings issued by the Slovak Intelligence Service (SIS) regarding Italian mafia activities in Slovakia for years, said President Andrej Kiska on Wednesday. Kiska claimed that this has been corroborated by SIS head Anton Šafárik. "People have the right to know why our institutions ignored warnings by the Italian authorities about individuals affiliated with the Mafia in eastern Slovakia. They have the right to hear an explanation as to why Government members ignored warnings by our own secret service for years," said Kiska at a press conference. The president stated that the solution to the current Government crisis lies either in a reconstruction of Cabinet or in early elections.