Sutaj Estok: Protected Persons Must Follow Security Advice or Lose Protection(2)

Bratislava, 11 October (TASR) - If a protected person fails to follow the advice of their security detail, they should lose state-provided protection, Interior Minister Matus Sutaj Estok (Voice-SD) stated in a video posted on social media on Sunday, in which he announced changes to the applicable legislation. Sutaj Estok responded to an incident involving the actions of the security detail protecting opposition 'Slovakia' party leader Igor Matovic, during which they had to intervene against a man with whom Matovic was arguing. According to the minister, Matovic deliberately provokes conflicts. "Just as constitutional officials are subject to clear rules governing their protection, including what they can and can't do, every protected individual must refrain from conduct that poses an immediate threat to their own safety," stated Sutaj Estok. According to a letter that Sutaj Estok received from the head of the Interior Ministry's Office for the Protection of Constitutional Officials and Diplomatic Missions, Matovic has already been asked to comply with Parliament's code of ethics for MPs. The minister also pointed to hateful comments that appeared following the incident and targeted the police officers assigned to Matovic as his security detail. "People are calling them Gestapo and scum in the comments, wishing them a good beating. Mr Matovic, you alone are responsible for these comments," said Sutaj Estok. According to him, Matovic was assigned a security detail as party leader following the assassination attempt on Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer-SD) two years ago in Handlova (Trencin region). Opposition representatives are also entitled to protection, but they must comply with security measures, said Sutaj Estok. Before Sutaj Estok's statement, Matovic confirmed in a video posted on social media that the intervention had been carried out by the police, not by private security guards. However, it wasn't clear from his statement whether they were the security detail assigned to him by the state, as the minister claims, or other police officers. Nonetheless, Matovic defended the officers involved, saying that he regretted the incident, but denied causing it. In his opinion, the incident in Bytca (Zilina region) involves a situation in which an older man attacked a police officer, which he claims is clear from video footage. He added that the police subsequently took the man to a police station. According to Matovic, he was under the influence of alcohol. "So please, let's be fair, let's be fair to the people who were there doing their job. And once again, I didn't call a single one of them there. They aren't there because we request their services," Matovic said in the video, referring to the police officers at the scene. Zuzana Sefcikova, spokesperson for the Regional Police Directorate in Zilina, did not confirm to TASR that the officers involved were members of Matovic's security detail, referring to the ongoing investigation. "Given that the necessary actions are being carried out to properly clarify the matter, no further information can be provided at this time," she added. NOTE: This story has been extended to include the final four paragraphs. jrg