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BBC News
4 hours ago
- Politics
- BBC News
Slovak police in failed bid to arrest ex-defence chief over aid to Ukraine
Police in Slovakia have tried to arrest ex-defence minister Jaroslav Nad over aid donations to Ukraine, in a case he has condemned as politically media said police had gone to his home on Wednesday morning but the former minister was not there. He later said he was on holiday abroad and proud of his said the case had been initiated by the EU's European Public Prosecutor's Office in Bratislava which said eight people had been detained on Wednesday as part of an investigation into alleged misuse of €7.4m (£6.3m) in it also exposes the political rift in Slovakia over the war in Ukraine. The current defence minister in Prime Minister Robert Fico's populist-nationalist government has accused Jaroslav Nad of treason for giving fighter jets to Ukraine. And Wednesday's police operation came to light a day after Fico floated the idea of neutrality for Slovakia, which has been a Nato member since the second day of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the defence ministry under Slovakia's previous government ordered the immediate purchase of 12,000 rounds of 120mm mortar ammunition from state-owned defence company state had previously sold off the obsolete ammunition to Konstrukta, but according to the Dennik N newspaper bought it back for more than they had it sold it Supreme Audit Office (NKU) has since flagged the buyback as legally and financially its statement, the European Public Prosecutor's Office said it suspected the procedure for buying military aid for Ukraine was "rigged and that the ammunition may have been overpriced".Of the eight people it said had been detained were four officials from the ministry of Jaroslav Nad, who now heads the Demokrati party, which has no seats in parliament, says the entire case is built on the fact that the previous government had come to Ukraine's aid."The ruling coalition needs to show its voters that their promises — that I would end up in prison for this help — are being fulfilled," he told the BBC from the Canadian city of Calgary."It is purely and simply a political process, and it demonstrates the pro-Russian direction of the Slovak government and the emerging autocracy in the style of Russia or Belarus."Senior ministers in the Fico government – who came to power on a promise to halt military aid to Ukraine – have denied allegations of political Minister Robert Kalinak told reporters that criminal proceedings were initiated based on an audit office report and were now continuing independently under the European Public Prosecutor's former minister has vowed to co-operate fully with the investigation on his return to Fico famously promised "not to send one more round of ammunition" to Ukraine shortly before he won parliamentary elections in September a visit to the economy ministry on Tuesday, he said: "I have a feeling that things are shifting in the world... In these absurd times of rearmament, when arms companies are rubbing their hands together just like pharmaceutical companies did during Covid, neutrality would suit Slovakia very well."The previous Slovak government had supplied not just munitions but also donated its sole S-300 surface-to-air missile battery as well as its entire fleet of 13 decommissioned MiG-29 fighter jets to while the Fico government quickly halted the supply of Slovak army surplus stocks to Kyiv, commercial arms companies in Slovakia continue to play an important role in delivering ammunition and heavy weaponry to Ukraine.
Straits Times
4 hours ago
- Politics
- Straits Times
Slovak police detain eight in probe into military aid to Ukraine
Slovak police detain eight in probe into military aid to Ukraine Slovak police have detained eight people, including defence ministry officials, in an investigation by the European Public Prosecutor's Office into possible misuse of funds for military aid to Ukraine, the office said on Wednesday. Police confirmed earlier on Wednesday they were carrying out seizure operations in an EPPO prosecution, after media outlets reported authorities sought to detain a former defence minister who is out of the country on vacation. The EPPO, an independent body of the European Union, said four of those detained were officials at the defence ministry and that the value of the misused funds was 7.4 million euros ($8.51 million). It said it suspected top-ranking personnel of violating budgetary rules "by giving unjustified orders to purchase ammunition from two private companies," at the start of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. "EPPO suspects that the public procurement procedure was rigged and that the ammunition may have been overpriced," it said. The defence ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment. News website Dennik N said earlier that police had wanted to detain former defence minister Jaroslav Nad, a member of the previous government. He denied allegations of wrongdoing related to Ukraine aid and wrote on Facebook on Wednesday how he was proud of assisting the country. Nad, calling the police action "theatre", said he was on vacation in Canada and due to return at the end of the month. Slovakia's leftist-nationalist government under Prime Minister Robert Fico has taken sharp policy turns since taking power in 2023, including stopping military aid to Ukraine and seeking better ties with Russia, which supplies it with oil and gas. Opposition officials and activists have been highly critical of the new policies, while the government has accused the previous administration of treason and other offences in its donations to Ukraine. A report from the Supreme Audit Office last year said errors related to budgetary rules were made in purchasing ammunition for Ukraine and it had handed findings to police. Fico has been critical of the European Union's Ukraine policy, saying weapons supplies prolong the war. On Tuesday, he criticised NATO plans to ramp up spending in the coming years and for the first time questioned Slovakia's place in the military alliance by saying neutrality would benefit the country. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Reuters
11 hours ago
- Politics
- Reuters
Slovak police seek former defence minister over Ukraine aid, media report
June 18 (Reuters) - Slovak police attempted to detain a former defence minister and other former officials on Wednesday as part of investigations into how military aid was given to Ukraine, media outlets reported. The police confirmed they were carrying out seizure operations in a prosecution initiated by the European Public Prosecutor's Office (EPPO), but gave no more details. Interior Minister Matus Sutaj Estok said on Facebook a team investigating ammunition donations to Ukraine under the former government, after Russia's invasion in 2022, was involved. EPPO did not immediately reply to a request for comment. News website Dennik N said police had sought to detain former defence minister Jaroslav Nad, who is out of the country on vacation, and another former ministry official. Nad has previously denied allegations of wrongdoing related to Ukraine aid. Police had detained the former head of a state-owned defence firm, Dennik N said. Slovakia's leftist-nationalist government under Prime Minister Robert Fico has taken sharp policy turns since taking power in 2023, including stopping military aid to Ukraine and seeking better ties with Russia, which supplies oil and gas to the country. Last year, Fico's government accused the previous administration of treason and other offences for various donations to Ukraine. In November, an investigation into discrepancies into data on the donations was set up. A report from the Supreme Audit Office last year had said errors related to budgetary rules were made in purchasing ammunition for Ukraine and it had handed findings to police. Nad has denied allegations against him, and he said on Wednesday on social media that he was on vacation in Canada and due to return at the end of the month. "Today's theatre honestly did not surprise or bother me," Nad said on Facebook. "I will keep repeating to myself how proud I am of how we helped Ukraine. I would do it again. And again." Separately, the government has also called on police to investigate the previous government for donating MiG-29 fighter planes and an air defence system to Ukraine. Fico has been vocally critical of European Union policy to Ukraine, saying weapons supplies prolong the war with Russia. On Tuesday, he criticised plans of NATO, in which Slovakia is a member, to ramp up spending in the coming years and for the first time questioned Slovakia's place in the military alliance by saying neutrality would benefit the country.
