Today, 25 August, Karol Mitrik was officially appointed as director of the Slovak Intelligence Service (SIS) by President Ivan Gasparovic. He replaced Jozef Magala, who was nominated by the former government of Robert Fico four years ago.
Mitrik was the subject of criticism this month as he had allegedly provided an alibi for former Kosice deputy mayor, Eugen Cuno, who was accused of bribe-taking. In the case, Mitrik claimed he had been with Cuno at the of the alleged bribe and that he remembered this specifically as he had crashed his car that day. Following investigation, however, the Specialised Court discovered that Mitrik’s car had been repaired over a year after the alleged accident, and so his testimony was thrown out.
In an ironic response, PM Radicova said that she trusted Mitrik more than she did the courts.