Former police chief Tibor Gaspar has been detained by the National Crime Agency on suspicion of corruption, according to a statement provided to TASR by the Police Corps Presidium on Friday.
President Zuzana Caputova on Friday denied Smer-SD leader Robert Fico's claims on the same day that she knew in advance and gave approval to the police detention of ex-police chief Tibor Gaspar, now a Smer member running in the snap general election.
"The claim that the president knew in advance or even gave her consent to any police action is another blatant lie by Robert Fico," said Caputova in a statement provided to TASR by her spokesman. The president stated that she realises that it is inconceivable for Fico that the police could function without political control or interference in individual cases.
Smer-SD will try to make the most of the arrest of Tibor Gaspar, a few weeks before the parliamentary elections, experts agree. Rock-solid voters, who are determined to give their vote to the Social Democrats at any cost, will not be affected by this case. On the contrary. There may be movement among the undecided. It all depends on how the party communicates the cause. Michal Mislovic analyst of the polling agency Median SK expects that Smer-SD will continue its policy and try to make Tibor Gaspar a martyr.
Karol Lovas from the Department of Journalism at Charles University in Prague reminds us that it has never happened in Slovakia that a political opposition leader has been detained by the police a few weeks before an election. According to him, this was not the case even when Vladimír Meciar was in power.
Gaspar was detained on suspicion of corruption along with one other individual under Operation Ezekiel 7 in Nitra region early on Friday morning. Given the ongoing investigation, both the police and Special Prosecutor's Office refused to provide more information for the time being. Reportedly, Gaspar has been charged in the case with Nitra-based oligarch Norbert Bodor, who wasn't among the detained on Friday as he's currently on holiday.
Source: TASR, RTVS
