Prime Minister Peter Pellegrini is saddened to learn that further public protests against Police Corps President Tibor Gašpar's ouster will go on. They are scheduled to take place this Thursday in the capital and in other Slovak towns as well as in eight cities abroad.
At the same time, the private foundation Zastavme korupciu (Let´s stop corruption) together with theSlovak business weekly Trend, elaborated on a report on Slovakia's police, which was presented the other day. The data originates from analytical interviews with 16 police officers of different ranks. The report blame the police headquarters for enforced annual leave from their civil service, biased crime numbers or political nominations for the highest posts in the police corps. The director of the Foundation Pavel Sibyla:
"If there is a chance to detect a potential suspect, the criminal offence is classified as serious or as a delict. However, if there is no chance to do so, the offence is classified more softly."
This was given as a method how statistical crime numbers could have been manipulated. Aside from this, the foundation criticises the low wages of police officers, vast fluctuations within the police sector and the untrustworthiness of the inspectors. The police headquarters holds these findings as purpose-made and declares Slovakia a safe country with a decreasing trend in criminality.
Pavel Sibyla believes that the situation in the police sector could enact changes via a new law on the voting procedure of police officials. The Interior Ministry Tomáš Drucker reacts:
"A bill which should enter inter-departmental review next week counts on the compulsory selection procedure for the police corps president and for all director posts Slovak-wide, including vice-presidents and regional directors and others."
Newly appointed Interior Minister Tomas Drucker enjoys the prime minister's full confidence as far as reforming the Police corps, with Peter Pellegrini giving him "carte blanche".
The organisers of the protest For Decent Slovakia have planned for late Thursday afternoon a new series of public meetings. They insist upon the proper investigation of murdered journalist Ján Kuciak and his fiancé Martina Kušnírová as well as the ouster of Police Corps President Tibor Gašpar. They believe that Interior Minister Tomáš Drucker has not yet proved that he would have serious interest in the changing of the police elite. Juraj Šeliga, one of the protests organisers, states:
"As long as Mr. Gašpar is his position, we cannot truly speak of any system changes. The Interior Minister has not sent a clear signal that he desires change nor will he secure conditions of impartiality for the murder investigation of Ján and Martina."
Source: RTVS
