Gaspar: UOO Not Being Scrapped, Agenda of Compensation Will Be Added to It

Bratislava, 25 November (TASR) - The Whistleblower Protection Office (UOO) isn't being scrapped, it's just being supplemented to include a new agenda of crime victim compensation, House Vice-chair Tibor Gaspar (Smer-SD) told a news conference on Tuesday, adding that the possibility of merging it with the Personal Data Protection Office is under discussion as well. "Such an office will remain, but it will be supplemented with a new agenda. That agenda was until now under the jurisdiction of the Justice Ministry, which dealt with compensation for crime victims. This Justice Ministry agenda will now be transferred to the existing office, which is why the office will also change its name so that it will be clear from the name that it isn't here only to protect whistleblowers, but also to deal with the issue of crime victims," stated Gaspar. The Personal Data Protection Office could also fall under this office in the future. According to Gaspar, this is currently only under discussion, and such a proposal isn't on the agenda of the current parliamentary session. He noted that other institutions could be merged from the economic viewpoint in the future as well; for example, the Anti-monopoly Office with the Public Procurement Office. "We're talking about merging offices due to economic issues and consolidation, and I emphasise this so that you'll understand that one of the reasons is the economy," he added. The new Crime Victim and Whistleblower Protection Office should take over the agenda of compensating crime victims from the Justice Ministry and replace the current Whistleblower Protection Office. The government approved the related bill sponsored by the Interior Ministry at the weekend. Parliament should deal with it via a short-track legislative procedure, probably at the beginning of the ongoing session. UOO previously fined the Interior Ministry for failing to respect whistleblower status in the case of a group of police officers known as the 'Curilla group'. ko/df