Simko to Leave Post of Interior Minister (2)

Bratislava, July 19 (TASR) - Ivan Simko will leave the post of interior minister, caretaker Premier Ludovit Odor announced at a news conference on Wednesday, adding that he'll ask President Zuzana Caputova to revoke his credentials later in the day. Odor cited broken trust between Simko and the police leadership as the reason for this move. "The trust between Interior Minister Ivan Simko and the police's wider leadership was so damaged in recent weeks that it was impossible to restore it despite great efforts made by the president and myself and despite intensive negotiations. A big role was played by a lack of mutual communication, which in two months became a fundamental obstacle to further cooperation," stated Odor. The premier confirmed that more than 20 senior police officers wanted to leave due to Simko, and this didn't only concern Simko's statements on social networks. "It wasn't the beginning of the story, but rather its end, the final straw," stated Odor. The premier assured the police and Slovakia as a whole that the police have and will continue to have free hands in investigations within the boundaries of the law. He called politicisation and political management of the police inadmissible. According to him, Simko's departure from his post is the "most reasonable, albeit difficult way out" to calm the situation and restore trust. Odor has no doubts that Simko was interested in Slovakia being a state governed by the rule of law so that its institutions can function. However, ideas regarding the path towards achieving this goal sometimes differed. He praised Simko's role in ensuring transparent and fair elections, as well as in the issue of migration at European forums. Simko has been a member of the caretaker government tasked with managing the country until the new cabinet is formed after the snap general election due to be held in September. As it's a caretaker government, he cannot be dismissed. After being stripped of his credentials he can be replaced by any of the remaining cabinet members. ko/df