SLOVAK POLICE WORRIED ABOUT NEW INTERIOR

S E C R E T BRATISLAVA 000167

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

PRAGUE FOR LEGATT JOYCE

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/27/2026
TAGS: PGOV PREL KCRM PHUM KPAO PINR LO
SUBJECT: SLOVAK POLICE WORRIED ABOUT NEW INTERIOR
MINISTER'S TIES TO CORRUPT POLITICIANS

REF: BRATISLAVA 100

Classified By: DCM Lawrence R. Silverman for Reasons 1.4 (B) and (D).


1. (S) Poloff spent February 23 participating in weapons
training at the invitation of Pavol Draxler (protect),the
Ministry of the Interior's National Coordinator for the Fight
Against Trafficking in Persons. Draxler, an up-and-coming
policy-maker at the Ministry of the Interior (MOI),spent the
day speaking freely about the Ministry, the police force, and
the Ministry's disdain for the political party of
until-recently Interior Minister Vladimir Palko, the
Christian Democrat Party (KDH). Despite KDH's a "law and
order" reputation, Palko failed to implement any significant
changes, according to Draxler.

KDH'S HANDS-OFF MANAGEMENT STYLE
--------------


2. (S) Draxler told us that former Minister Palko spoke
with only five or six advisors, and that Draxler himself --
who was considered by many to be "close" to the Minister --
only saw him once or twice a year. Palko's contact with
Ministry employees besides this inner circle was so filtered
that he, and by extension his KDH agenda, was ineffective;
Palko's public spats with the Police Presidium over wages
only aggravated the problem. Draxler joked that compared
with the Ministry's prior leadership (under Vladimir Meciar's
HZDS),he wasn't sure what was worse: a party that had the
ability to lead and make change but wasn't interested (HZDS),
or a party that claimed to be interested in "law and order"
but wasn't able to lead (KDH).

DOES PADO HAVE TIES TO CORRUPT POLITICIANS?
--------------


3. (S) Draxler also said that Ministry personnel -- both
civilian and police -- were concerned by the recent elevation
of State Secretary Martin Pado to Minister (reftel),because
his inner circle includes several people who are "too close
for comfort" to SDKU MP Roman Vavrik, considered by many to
be a "slimy" politician and, in the words of Draxler, "the
number one white collar criminal in Slovakia." Draxler said
that many in the MOI now fear that anything sent up to Pado's
office will inadvertently end up in the hands of Vavrik,
which may confound anti-corruption investigations and efforts.

CONCERN ABOUT THE GENERAL PROSECUTOR, TOO
--------------


4. (S) Slovakia's General Prosecutor -- a position that
operates in complete independence from the Ministry of
Justice and the judiciary -- did not escape Draxler's
concern, either. Draxler noted that the General Prosecutor
has recently ordered the cessation of several prosecutions,
including those of several skinhead leaders arrested last
year. The GP has done so without explanation, and under
current Slovak law, he is not required to give one. Draxler
asked the Embassy to use its good offices to inquire with the
GP as to the reason for these decisions. (COMMENT: Draxler's
comments do not fall on deaf ears. The structure of the
General Prosecutor's office is extremely hierarchical, and we
are working to bring the General Prosecutor and his senior
staff to the United States on an IV program this fall in an
effort to educate him about the roles and responsibilities of
U.S. prosecutors. END COMMENT)

MOI NO LONGER A PLUM POST
--------------


5. (S) Looking ahead to Slovakia's June 17 national
elections, Draxler said that he and his colleagues are unsure
as to who will emerge as the next Minister. He said that
Smer MP Robert Kalinak had looked like he was being groomed
for the job for a while, but that Kalinak saw how hard it was
to run the MOI and shifted his focus to MOD instead, as the
MOD has "more toys and fewer issues." All in all, though,
Draxler said that people like him think MOI is a good
Ministry to work for, since one does not have to wear their
politics on their sleeve there, as they have to elsewhere
"like at the Ministry of Education."
VALLEE