The situation concerning missing or, to be more precise, stolen ammunition is very serious, according to President Andrej Kiska who met Defence Minister Peter Gajdoš (a Slovak National Party/SNS nominee) and Chief of General Staff of the Slovak Armed Forces Milan Maxim on Monday. The meeting took place following published information that some 300,000 cartridges disappeared from an ammunition storehouse in Sklené (Žilina region) last month. An unspecified amount of ammunition from stocks in Trenčín-Kubra was found to be stolen in April. "The Armed Forces have been considered by the public to be among the most trusted institutions long term. So, we expect that there is order and that things work well. If ammunition goes missing, some questions arise ... regarding how those who are supposed to protect the state will protect us when a problem like this emerges in this very sector. I expect the Defence Ministry to inform the public regularly and objectively about the situation so that the confidence that we have in the Armed Forces won't disappear," said Kiska, who as country's President is also the Commander-in-Chief of the Slovak Army.
Defence Minister Peter Gajdoš has already ordered a detailed and thorough inventory of all types of ammunition and weapons. "We don't keep anything secret. We regularly report to all top officials, and the public. I immediately passed on the information and findings to the law enforcement authorities, but more detailed information can only be provided by these authorities and the courts," said Gajdoš. The minister added that "many cases of human error have been identified, including defects in carrying out formal inventories and inspections" and that the thefts of ammo might have not happened only recently but could be a long-term problem.
