Parliament on Tuesday morning resumed the debate on the opposition's no-confidence motion in Interior Minister Matus Sutaj Estok (Hlas-SD). More than 30 MPs have filed their opinion on the issue and asked for speaking time. It is building up to be the first major confrontation between the government and the opposition.
The vote stands little chance of succeeding, because the opposition simply doesn’t have a majority in Parliament. But it does give them a platform to criticize the minister.
Their main complaint is that he suspended six investigative police officers, who were working on cases involving members or supporters of Smer, the largest party in the coalition.
The minister said he suspected them of unlawful behavior. After it was pointed out that there are about 70 other policemen under suspicion, and still working, he started suspending those as well.
Still, says the lawyer for the six policemen, these six police investigators could not be suspended because they were protected under the Whistleblowers Act.
Sutaj Estok escalated late Monday by saying he had filed a criminal complaint against the very fact that they had been given protection.
"The conditions under which these men came to be protected by the Special Prosecutor's Office should be investigated,” he said. He called the protection ‘illegal and a criminal act of abuse of authority by a public official.’
Although he did not mention it, the whistleblower status was given to these policemen a few days after the election had made clear that Smer would be the biggest party.
The Special Prosecutor of the Justice Department, who worked closely with the accused six policemen on politically sensitive cases, reacted immediately.
Daniel Lipsic said: ‘We provided protection to whistleblowers of illegal activity in full accordance with the law. If there is a qualified notice and a request for protection, the prosecutor is obliged to provide such protection without delay.’
According to Lipšic, such protection can also be provided to a police officer. "And especially when he is aware of the illegal activity of other authorities, which may also concern the Police Force. For example, illegal activity caused by interference in the investigation of specific cases."
(TASR, RTVS)
