PS: UIS Carried Out 'Operation Cooperating Defendant' at Political Behest

Bratislava, 3 March (TASR) - The opposition Progressive Slovakia (PS) party believes that 'Operation Cooperating Defendant', during which several police officers and civilians were detained and charged on Tuesday, was carried out by the Internal Affairs Inspectorate (UIS) at the political behest of top government officials, TASR reported on the same day. PS noted that the swoop took place after a press conference held on Sunday (1 March) by Prime Minister Robert Fico, House Vice-chair Tibor Gaspar (both Smer-SD) and the Prime Minister's advisor Marek Para, during which they lambasted the work of the law-enforcement authorities between 2020 and 2023. Party MP Zuzana Stevulova recalled that the detained officers involved the investigators who investigated the Purgatory Case, in connection with which Gaspar is facing charges. Former Police Corps president MP Jaroslav Spisiak (PS) stated that UIS acted two days after Fico publicly explained who is good and who is bad. According to him, UIS should be the body to identify and eliminate unsuitable or corrupt police managers at an early stage. UIS should also have such police representatives under control and identify, separate and remove them at the right time; "not now, when they remove police officers who charged the police leadership and brought it before a court," said Spisiak, adding that UIS should also protect honest police officers and ensure that there are as few dishonest ones as possible. UIS conducted 'Operation Cooperating Defendant' on Tuesday, detaining and charging four current and two former police officers, plus one civilian, with extortion and abuse of power by a public official, allegedly committed in an organised manner. In addition to those charged, two other suspects have been detained as well. The operation took place across Bratislava, Nitra and Banska Bystrica regions. jrg/df