SIS Head Gaspar Will Resign When There Are Legal Grounds for His Removal

(JOJ 24,'Politika 24', 19 October) I'll assume personal responsibility and resign when there are legal grounds for my dismissal, director of the Slovak Intelligence Service (SIS) Pavol Gaspar stated on JOJ 24's discussion programme 'Politika 24' (Politics 24) on Sunday, adding he doesn't consider a common accident to be legal grounds. Gaspar also regrets the accident in Nitra, in which he was a participant. If he had been aware of his guilt at the scene, he would have admitted it and paid the fine. "Since we and the other parties involved didn't agree on who was at fault, the accident is being cleared up today. If it is established at the end of this clarification process that I'm the guilty party, I'll pay the fine as I'd have paid it on the spot," said Gaspar, noting that the accident happened during his personal time off. He declared that he was neither drunk nor under the influence of other substances, nor was he driving at 200 kilometres per hour. Meanwhile, the SIS head considers his tattoos to be a private and personal matter. According to him, he has several of them and he had them all tattooed before he became the head of the intelligence service. "I go around dressed in a suit. I don't present these tattoos at work meetings or anywhere in public," he said. Reacting to the protests that took place against his work in the intelligence service, he said that he sees them as normal. According to him, it is the basis of a democratic society and people can express their opinion on the streets. On the day of the protests, only Slovak flags were hoisted on the SIS building to show that he was protecting Slovak interests, he explained. According to the director, the report on the coup that should have allegedly taken place in Slovakia was not only based on violent activity, but also discussed the economic aspect and other matters. "SIS, when it detects any facts that could threaten the internal security, internal order and security of the state, the sovereignty of Slovakia, has a duty to act," stressed Gaspar, adding that the service can then decide whether to forward the information to law enforcement bodies and lawful recipients or take preventive measures. am