Committee Didn't Discuss SIS Report, Maskarova Says One Person to be Expelled(2)

Bratislava, January 30 (TASR) - House Committee for Defence and Security didn't discuss the report of the Slovak Intelligence Service (SIS) on the alleged potential state coup, as the committee was inquorate on Thursday. Jana Maskarova, the temporary police chief, stated after the unsuccessful attempt to convene the session, that the foreign police will administratively expel one individual with Ukrainian citizenship. "The police have been dealing comprehensively with the entire report, even persons mentioned in it, while additional individuals have been blacklisted in the national blockade system," she said. Opposition MP Juraj Krupa (SaS) believes that if the information about the coup or 'Maidan' is fabricated, then the news of the deportation of a single person responsible for its preparation could be fake as well. MP Irena Bihariova (PS) pointed out that Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer-SD) either disseminates information leaked from the criminal prosecution or the security forces don't investigate the serious information on the coup. "These are precisely the things that I perceive as completely legitimate questions. They're not under any special confidential status and wouldn't interfere with investigation at all. The answers would just give the public a better level of understanding," said Bihariova. The House Committee was inquorate because coalition legislators didn't come to the session. "If there's any preparation of a crime underway, then every crime remains a crime even at its attempt stage," warned MP Gabor Grendel ('Slovakia'), adding that police should present relevant information about the coup. Committee chair Richard Gluck (Smer-SD) reported that the date of the session, as proposed by the opposition, was in a schedule conflict with obligations of the coalition members. He underlined, however, that he wants to convene the session and plans to do so next week. "We didn't know when such an update would come [the administrative expulsion of a person over the alleged coup preparation -ed.note]. If I had known about it, I would have insisted even more on having the session," claimed Gluck. The opposition also wanted to discuss at the session a pro-Russian motorcycle group Brother for Brother and security risks it allegedly poses, as the group has instructed its members in its social media posts to start founding cells in Slovakia and embrace "insurgency". mf/mcs