SaS: Jozef Raz Jr. Can't Ensure Proper Investigation into Journalist Murder

Bratislava, March 19 (TASR) – The Opposition Freedom and Solidarity (SaS) party doesn’t believe that incoming Interior Minister Jozef Raz Jr. can ensure a proper investigation into the double murder of Jan Kuciak and Martina Kusnirova, TASR learnt from party spokesperson Katarina Svrcekova on Monday.

“Just as (ex-prime minister and Smer-SD chair) Robert Fico has his own (Prime Minister Peter) Pellegrini, (ex-interior minister) Robert Kalinak has his own Raz. Jozef Raz is his personal friend and right-hand man. The Freedom and Solidarity party doesn’t believe that he can ensure a proper investigation into the double murder that has shaken Slovakia,” said Svrcekova.

The spokesperson added that the “nomination of longstanding party apparatchik Lubica Lassakova for culture minister after the culture community rejected Erik Tomas only underlines the lack of personnel choices on the part of Smer-SD”. SaS is calling for early parliamentary election.

After the Smer-SD presidium meeting earlier in the day, Smer-SD chair Robert Fico announced that current Health Ministry service office general secretary Jozef Raz Jr. will become the next interior minister. He also informed the press that the party presidium lent support to Peter Pellegrini’s nomination as prime minister, with his previous post of vice-premier for investments and informatisation to be taken over by Kosice mayor Richard Rasi and Banska Bystrica regional party head Lubica Lassakova due to become culture minister.