Pellegrini: No Agreement Yet in Coalition on Gaspar As Possible SIS Head

        Speaking on on RTVS's discussion programme 'O 5 minut 12' (Five Minutes to Twelve) on Sunday, Parliamentary Speaker and Voice-SD leader Peter Pellegrini said that there is still no agreement in the coalition on MP Tibor Gaspar (Smer-SD) as a candidate for the post of Slovak Intelligence Service (SIS) director.
        Pellegrini opines that SIS shouldn't be headed by someone who is accused of a crime unless proven innocent.
        The parliamentary chair also admitted changes in the functioning of the Special Prosecutor's Office and the Criminal Code. However, according to him, there is no final agreement yet and they will present the proposal to the government only after consultation with the European Commission. "The intention is to bring the criminal codes of our country closer to developed Western countries," he pointed out, noting that the changes shouldn't concern the Specialised Criminal Court.
        Parliamentary Vice-Chair and Progressive Slovakia (PS) leader Michal Simecka, who was also on the show, rejects the plan. According to him, the cabinet wants to weaken the rule of law. "It is clearly about weakening the institution that has tried to deal with grand corruption over recent years," he noted. In this context, he again criticised Interior Minister Matus Sutaj Estok (Voice-SD) as he sees revenge behind several of his steps.