By: Spletni časopis
The NSi protested today that four of their eight MPs have found themselves in a pre-criminal procedure.
Matej Tonin, Jernej Vrtovec, Janez Žakelj, and Jožef Horvat are under investigation because they voted in the Intelligence and Security Services Oversight Committee for an unannounced police surveillance to check whether there was eavesdropping in political disputes, such as those at the top of DARS (the Slovenian Roads Agency).
The commission was set up in a highly bizarre manner, due to manipulation by NSi, Svoboda, Levica, and SD, which, after the last elections, denied the largest opposition party, the SDS, the opportunity to take control of the government by leading both oversight committees after the election results. The Public Finance Oversight and Intelligence Oversight Committees were assigned to the much smaller NSi, which now has exclusive members in both committees. This is not a genuine opposition oversight but rather a way for NSi to score political points at the expense of SDS. In the end, however, its MPs are now facing issues as they are being pursued by the government side.
The “oppositional” composition of the Intelligence and Security Services Oversight Committee is as follows:
“KNOVS (the National Intelligence and Security Services Oversight Committee) carried out the unannounced surveillance legally,” said Matej Tonin, the leader of NSi, adding that the police had no objections during the surveillance and did not refuse it, as the law on parliamentary oversight of intelligence and security services allows. Tonin further stated that together with Žakelj, Horvat, and Vrtovec, he has found himself in a pre-criminal procedure on the charge that “we gained a non-financial benefit for a larger number of people because we found that they were not being eavesdropped on”.
The investigation was to check whether individuals were being eavesdropped in connection with political disputes in the country, including at the top of DARS, when Svoboda removed Valentin Hajdinjak from NSi to install Andrej Ribič from Svoboda.
The chairman of the Intelligence Oversight Committee, Janez Žakelj, pointed out today that “the opposition has the majority in this committee by law, so it cannot be illegal if the motion is passed with an opposition majority”. He added that “it is the duty of KNOVS to carry out oversight if any citizen reports that they have the impression that illegal investigative measures are being carried out against them”.
The police have also responded to the developments:
“The police cooperate correctly and in accordance with the law with the Intelligence and Security Services Oversight Committee.
We firmly reject the claims made at today’s press conference about the misuse of the police for political purposes, as the police always cooperate properly with the Committee for Intelligence and Security Services Oversight, providing all necessary information in accordance with the law and the committee’s powers.
We also protect sensitive data in accordance with regulations and do not share it with unauthorised individuals.
The police strive for the legality of carried-out tasks and powers to ensure the safety of individuals and the community, respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, and the strengthening of the rule of law.
Regarding questions related to specific or identifiable individuals, we cannot respond due to the protection of personal data.
We can only confirm that a pre-criminal procedure is underway due to a suspicion of committing a criminal offense of abuse of official position or rights under Article 257 of the Criminal Code (KZ-1), guided by the Specialised State Prosecution of the Republic of Slovenia.
Due to the protection of the pre-criminal procedure and personal data, we cannot provide further details.
Respectfully,
Drago Menegalija”
