PS Calls on Interior Minister to Resign Over Police Reports in Bomb Threat Case

Bratislava, 16 July (TASR) – The opposition's Progressive Slovakia (PS) party sharply criticized the way the Slovak police reported about the investigation into bomb threats targeting schools in Slovakia and the Czech Republic, as the police have omitted key findings - including the suspected involvement of Russia - and the party renewed its call for Interior Minister Matus Sutaj Estok (Voice-SD) to resign. The statement was made at a Wednesday press conference by Jaroslav Spisiak, member of the House Defense and Security Committee, and Zuzana Stevulova, deputy chair of the PS parliamentary caucus. Spisiak condemned the fact that the Slovak police were the first to inform the public, despite having minimal involvement in the joint investigation. He lambasted the police for failing to communicate crucial facts - such as the likely Russian backing behind the attack carried out by an individual from Ukraine. Spisiak emphasized that not thwarting evidence is more important than being first to report and put the entire investigation into jeopardy as a result. Stevulova accused the current governing coalition of long-term downplaying of the Russian hybrid threat, calling it a persistent problem since its inception. She also pointed to visits to Moscow by senior government officials. Stevulova added that a parliamentary motion to dismiss Minister Sutaj Estok has been pending since December, describing his actions as contradictory to the interests of Slovakia’s allies and one in a series of many failures. The PS leaders urged Sutaj Estok to resign voluntarily to show respect and humility under the weight of his failures. If he refuses, they called on House Chair Richard Rasi (Voice-SD) to prioritize debate on the motion to dismiss the minister and others at the upcoming September session. Earlier on Wednesday, Slovak police announced a joint operation with Czech and Ukrainian forces in the Ukrainian city of Dnipro, where one Ukrainian suspect was detained. The Czech police confirmed the operation, involving their National Center against Terrorism, Extremism, and Cybercrime, and intelligence from the Security Information Service (BIS). The detained man is suspected of issuing bomb threats across several European countries, including Slovakia and the Czech Republic. BIS stated the suspect was likely funded by Russia. mf