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Gasparovic Appoints Mitrik as New Intelligence Service Head (UPDATE)
Wednesday 25 August 2010 Zoom in | Print page
Bratislava, August 25 (TASR) - President Ivan Gasparovic on Wednesday appointed Karol Mitrik as the new director of the Slovak Intelligence Service (SIS).
The nominee of Premier Iveta Radicova (SDKU-DS) replaced Jozef Magala, who was nominated by Robert Fico's (Smer-SD) government four years ago.
Mitrik was introduced at the ceremony by Transport Minister and First Deputy Premier Jan Figel (Christian Democrats/KDH), as Radicova had left for a visit to Germany earlier in the day.
Gasparovic thanked the outgoing SIS chief for his work in the post. "We shouldn't be too aware of the intelligence services, but what we should be aware of is that their work has fortified the state's security. I'm glad to say that you lived up to this task and established good contacts with your colleagues abroad," said Gasparovic, expressing his hope that the new SIS management will follow up on the latest positive developments in this area.
Magala stressed that SIS under his remit wasn't plagued by any significant scandals, while joining certain top international associations of intelligence services.
Mitrik, for his part, said that he views his appointment with humility. "First of all, please allow me to say thankyou for the trust shown in me in being appointed as SIS head," he said. "I view the post as a service to this country," he added.
Former interior minister and current head of the parliamentary committee for supervising SIS Robert Kalinak asserted that the SIS head should be more of a politician than an intelligence officer. "If the trend that not much is heard about SIS persists, and this has also been the case in the past four years, then this will be the right path," he said.
A shadow of suspicion was cast upon Mitrik earlier this month when it was revealed that he had provided an alibi for former deputy mayor of Kosice Eugen Cuno, who was accused of taking a bribe. Mitrik claimed that Cuno was with him at the time when he allegedly accepted the bribe. He remembered this well, he said, as he was involved in a car-crash that day. The Specialised Court found out, however, that Mitrik had his car repaired as late as one year after the alleged accident, and so rejected his testimony.
Radicova said that she trusts Mitrik more than the courts, however.
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