By: Dr Vinko Gorenak
You know the story of the thief who shouts, “Catch the thief!” It is, of course, a diversion tactic to shift attention from what someone might have done so they can do exactly what they accuse someone else of doing.
This reminds me of the tale told by older police officers in Celje about a colleague who, in the 1960s, was searching for himself. On Hudinja near Celje, he robbed a gas station by shooting at the seller and taking some cash. Later, he was part of the team investigating the robbery until he was discovered.
Something similar is happening in Golob’s coalition. The resigned Justice Minister Dominika Švarc Pipan was searching for all responsible for the scandalous purchase of a derelict building on Litijska 51 in Ljubljana, allegedly for justice department needs, even days after the revelation. She was the one who chose the building, signed the purchase agreement, and was therefore most responsible for the scandalous purchase. Yet, at the request of the head of Golob’s coalition, she continued her duties for several days, officially to gather evidence and reveal all the misconduct of her subordinates who allegedly advised her on this purchase. Clearly, she was searching for herself, and during this time, she could also destroy important evidence against herself.
There are numerous similar actions within Golob’s coalition. Recall the loud shouting and street protesting when former Interior Minister Aleš Hojs demanded that the police re-examine all facts in certain criminal case suspicions. At that time, the political left, whose successors are practically the same actors now forming Golob’s coalition, loudly claimed it was interference with police work, political subjugation of the police, and more. However, a request for a re-examination of criminal suspicions could either confirm police findings or the police could find new evidence. Nothing controversial there, yet the political left caused an uproar. Today, the police practically investigate nothing even remotely related to the head of Golob’s coalition or his sympathisers, whether it is the controversial deals of the company Gen-I, led by Golob before, or dubious deals in Kosovo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, or the case of his “stolen” identity in Romania where he allegedly had a bank account. The inaction of the police in investigating criminal suspicions is entirely acceptable for Golob’s coalition, but the former interior minister’s request for further investigation was almost a crime. Double standards, indeed.
Today, the police are not led by a recognised police expert with a doctorate, Anton Olaj, but by a university-educated police officer with insufficient leadership experience. For them, Dr Anton Olaj was not a suitable police chief, but the current chief Senad Jusić is. Why so?
TODAY, THE POLICE ARE NOT LED BY A RECOGNISED POLICE EXPERT WITH A DOCTORATE, ANTON OLAJ, BUT BY A UNIVERSITY-EDUCATED POLICE OFFICER WITH INSUFFICIENT LEADERSHIP EXPERIENCE.
Recently, the weekly Domovina published an interview with the new responsible editor, Dr Valentin Areh. He is a well-known war correspondent from many conflict zones around the world, most recently from Ukraine, whose reports have been featured on the world’s most renowned television networks. In the interview, he vividly describes political activism on public television, which we all pay for. He clearly states that he was not allowed to report on the economic successes of Janša’s government, nor was he allowed to criticise Šarec’s government. He also mentions how he was not allowed to report on the actual content of the visit of former President Danilo Türk to Azerbaijan. Incidentally, I remember how in 2009, during Türk’s visit to Azerbaijan, they reported that he met with the “president” Aliyev. But when Janez Janša visited the same president in the same country two or three years later, they reported on Janez Janša’s visit to the “dictator” Aliyev.
Of course, we cannot ignore the fact that Golob’s coalition did everything to cleanse public RTV of “Janšists” and make it non-political and in the service of all citizens who pay for it. The last government of Janez Janša was accused of interfering with RTV and more. However, Janša’s government never considered prematurely dismissing the previous RTV leadership, which Golob’s coalition did as soon as they could. The new leadership naturally adjusted the staffing and reporting content to Golob’s coalition. Not in the name of non-political reporting, but likely under at least indirect orders from Golob’s coalition, which had indirectly appointed the now resigned leadership.
So, they are doing what they accused the last Janša government of. In other words, they shout “Catch the thief!” to do what they accused the previous government of. To be continued.