US embassy cable - 04BRATISLAVA311

UNCLAS BRATISLAVA 000311 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV, PREL, PARM, PINR, LO 
SUBJECT: SLOVAKIA POLITICAL ROUNDUP MARCH 20, 2004 
 
REF: 03 BRATISLAVA 1051 
 
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED.  PLEASE PROTECT ACCORDINGLY. 
 
PROSECUTION ON ARMS DEAL CONTINUES, SLOWLY 
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    1. (SBU) THERE HAS BEEN SLIGHT PROGRESS IN THE CASE OF 
FORMER SLOVAK NATIONALIST PARTY DEPUTY VITAZOSLAV MORIC AND 
A COLLEAGUE, WHO ATTEMPTED TO SELL A SOPHISTICATED RADAR 
SYSTEM TO NORTH KOREA IN 1998.  INTERIOR MINISTRY SPOKESMAN 
BORIS AZALTOVIC TOLD MEDIA THE INVESTIGATION IS FINISHED AND 
THE MINISTRY HAS RECOMMENDED THAT THE PROSECUTOR BRING 
CHARGES AGAINST THE TWO.  COMMENT: WE CONTINUE TO WATCH FOR 
A PROSECUTION ON THIS CASE, WHICH HAS MOVED SLOWLY THROUGH 
THE JUDICIAL SYSTEM.  PROSECUTION OF ARMS DEALS REMAINS THE 
BIGGEST STUMBLING BLOCK IN SLOVAKIA'S EXPORT CONTROL REGIME. 
 
EXPERTS PREDICT LOW TURNOUT FOR REFERENDUM 
------------------------------------------ 
2. (SBU) RECENT OPINION POLLS SUGGEST THAT TURNOUT COULD BE 
AS HIGH AS OVER HALF TO TWO-THIRDS OF THE ELECTORATE FOR THE 
TRADE UNION AND SMER-SUPPORTED REFERENDUM TO CALL FOR NEW 
PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS.  ANALYSTS CLOSE TO THE EMBASSY 
SUGGEST BASED ON PAST ELECTIONS THAT PEOPLE FREQUENTLY SAY 
THEY WILL VOTE, THEN DON'T.  VIRTUALLY ALL EXPERTS PREDICT 
THE REFERENDUM WILL NOT ATTRACT THE MAJORITY OF VOTERS 
REQUIRED FOR IT TO BE VALID. 
 
ANTI-CORRUPTION SUCCESS STORIES 
------------------------------- 
3. (U) THE FIGHT AGAINST CORRUPTION SCORED SOME MAJOR 
SUCCESSES THIS MONTH.  HZDS MPS MILAN REHAK AND IGOR PINKAVA 
WERE CHARGED WITH FRAUD IN CONNECTION WITH THE PRIVATIZATION 
PROCESS BY DIVERTING OVER SKK 41 MILLION ($1.26 MILLION) 
FROM THE NATIONAL PROPERTY FUND.  BUT THE MINISTRY OF 
INTERIOR HAS NOT ONLY GONE AFTER OPPOSITION OFFICIALS.  THE 
DEPUTY MAYOR OF KOSICE, SDKU NOMINEE EUGEN CUNO, AND A LOCAL 
    LAWYER WERE CAUGHT RED-HANDED ACCEPTING A SKK 1 MILLION 
($30,581) BRIBE TO CHOOSE A CERTAIN CONTRACTOR TO BUILD 
MUNICIPAL HOUSING.  BOTH WERE CHARGED WITH CORRUPTION. 
MEANWHILE, PETER PUSKAR, WHO RAN ON A COALITION TICKET FOR 
LOCAL ELECTIONS IN BRATISLAVA, WAS ACCUSED OF BEING THE HEAD 
OF A GANG THAT FUNNELED SKK 230 MILLION (OVER $7 MILLION) 
FROM THE STATE TREASURY THROUGH FICTITIOUS BUSINESS SALES. 
 
INTERIOR MINISTRY ON ROMA, EXTREMISM, AND ALCOHOL ABUSE 
--------------------------------------------- ---------- 
4. (SBU) PAVOL DRAXLER, ADVISOR ON EXTREMISM TO INTERIOR 
MINISTER VLADIMIR PALKO, TOLD POLOFFS THAT FOLLOWING ROMA 
UNREST IN THE EAST, HE WENT ON A MONITORING TRIP TO TREBISOV 
WITH OFFICIALS FROM EUROPEAN INSTITUTIONS AND NGOS.  IN HIS 
OPINION, THE POLICE ACTED FAIRLY WHEN THEY BROKE UP THE 
UNLAWFUL DEMONSTRATION IN THE SQUARE.  THERE WERE COMPLAINTS 
ABOUT POLICE SURROUNDING THE ROMA SETTLEMENT AND ROUSING 
RESIDENTS OUT OF BED WITH GUNS, BUT DRAXLER SAID THIS WAS 
NECESSARY TO PROTECT PERSONAL PROPERTY AND CITIZENS.  THE 
POLICE WILL BE REMOVED AFTER THE NEXT WELFARE PAYMENTS ONCE 
IT IS CLEAR THAT THERE WILL BE NO ADDITIONAL VIOLENCE.  HE 
SAID MUCH OF THE PROBLEM CAN BE BLAMED ON USURERS, WHO HAVE 
A BROAD NETWORK IN THE MAJOR TOWNS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY. 
CERTAIN STORES WITH CONNECTIONS TO THE USURERS WERE 
UNTOUCHED BY THE EVENTS.  THE CASE OF A ROMA MAN FOUND DEAD 
AFTER BEING REPORTED MISSING FOR TWO WEEKS WAS SHOWN TO BE 
A DROWNING, DRAXLER SAID.  HE STATED THAT THE MAN WAS NEVER 
UNDER POLICE CUSTODY AND RAN AWAY FROM THE SETTLEMENT WHEN 
THE POLICE ARRIVED.  THE MAN WAS A KNOWN DRUG USER AND WAS 
ON PROBATION.  HE PROBABLY TRIPPED AND FELL IN THE RIVER AND 
POSSIBLY UNDER THE INFLUENCE WAS UNABLE TO GET OUT.  PEOPLE 
    AGAINST RACISM WILL LIKELY BE ABLE TO VIEW THE CORONER'S 
REPORT. 
 
5. (SBU) POLOFF ASKED ABOUT THE ZAHORSKA VES CASE, WHERE 
ROMA ACTIVISTS ACCUSED THE MAYOR OF PURCHASING LAND WHERE 
ROMA LIVE AND FORCING THEM OUT OF TOWN.  DRAXLER SAID THE 
CASE IS STILL UNDER INVESTIGATION. 
 
6. (SBU) THE CONVERSATION THEN TURNED TO EXTREMISM, WHICH IS 
DEFINED BY THE MOI AS HATE CRIMES, SKINHEAD ACTIVITY, ET AL. 
AS PART OF THE MOI RESTRUCTURING, THERE IS A RESPONSIBLE 
OFFICER IN EACH DISTRICT TO MONITOR EXTREMISM.  COOPERATION 
WITH NGOS CONTINUES, ESPECIALLY WITH PEOPLE AGAINST RACISM 
AND SARLOTA PUFFLEROVA'S CITIZENS AND DEMOCRACY. 
 
7. (SBU) DRAXLER SAID AFTER SEVERAL POLICEMEN WERE FIRED DUE 
TO ALCOHOL PROBLEMS, THERE IS A NEW CULTURE OF NOT ABUSING 
ALCOHOL FORMING IN THE POLICE RANKS.  POLICE DO NOT EVEN 
DRINK THE DAY BEFORE WORK FROM FEAR OF BREATHALYZERS. 
 
WEISER 
 
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