Police Corps President Gaspar to Step Down at End of May at Latest
Bratislava, April 17 (TASR) – Police Corps President Tibor Gaspar will step down from his post on May 31 at the latest, stated Prime Minister Peter Pellegrini at a press conference on Tuesday.
Pellegrini is currently also interim Interior Minister following the resignation of Tomas Drucker.
“I’ve agreed with the Police Corps president that, partly given the current situation, and due to the need to stabilise the situation, calm down tension and free the police from being constantly under pressure from the media, which have been questioning its work, we’ve agreed that he [Gaspar] will step down from his post,” said Pellegrini, adding that Gaspar will do so on May 31.
According to the premier, Gaspar can’t leave the post immediately because its a security body of the state, and the prime minister and interim interior minister must ensure that defence and security are in place. “I can’t destabilise the Police Corps by my decision,” said Pellegrini, adding that the police currently lack one vice-president, while the other is on sick leave.
Pellegrini also said that by Gaspar’s departure, the Police Corps is loosing a professional. “I’m not changing my opinions and when I said that I consider the police corps president to be a professional in the right place, I stand by my words. I want to say that the general, who has been at the helm of Police Corps for six years, is competent and has all the abilities to head the police,” said Pellegrini.
Despite the positive things Gaspar has done in his post, enormous political pressure, perhaps even an attack on all police officers in the country, has been built up through Gaspar, added the premier.
Gaspar said that he’s keeping his promise that he would leave if he agreed on this with the interior minister. “I’ll ask to be released from the post of police corps president as early as the following day to make it clear and evident,” said Gaspar, adding that he’s leaving to enable the police to work without attacks and without politicisation.
