SaS Urges President to Hold SIS Head Gaspar Politically Accountable

Bratislava, 22 January (TASR) - The opposition Freedom and Solidarity (SaS) party has again called on President Peter Pellegrini to initiate disciplinary proceedings against Slovak Intelligence Service (SIS) head Pavol Gaspar, SaS chair Branislav Groehling and party MP Maria Kolikova told a press conference on Thursday, adding that Gaspar should be held politically accountable. Groehling criticised how the investigation into Pavol Gaspar's traffic accident was conducted, describing it as strange. "Individual steps were carried out in various ways. It was really quite weird. We warned that it was a problem, and now, with the result here, we've learnt that it was only a misdemeanour. We'll accept that it was a misdemeanour, but at the same time we're calling on the president to initiate disciplinary proceedings," said Groehling. Kolikova recalled that a year ago, SIS was misused for a political struggle, when it drew up a report about a 'coup' that wasn't actually taking place. Gaspar has subsequently downplayed the report. When Gaspar was installed in office, stated Kolikova, the president asked him to make sure that SIS wasn't misused for political purposes. According to her, there are grounds for criminal liability against a public official for such an abuse of power. "Gaspar should never have become the SIS director. He should be dismissed as soon as possible if he's unable to resign himself, and the Slovak president is the one who should have taken steps to make this happen," she added. Gaspar was involved in a traffic accident on Dobsinskeho Street in Nitra on 30 August 2025, when two vehicles collided. A minor suffered light injuries in the crash. Both participants in the traffic accident underwent breathalyser tests for alcohol with negative results. The accident raised doubts and sparked criticism from the opposition. This month the police announced that the investigation into the traffic accident had been concluded, classifying it as a misdemeanour. However, the police didn't specify who was guilty, as this decision is to be made by the relevant administrative authority. jrg/df