Yesterday, the Social Democrats MP, Dušan Kumer, gave a false and misleading statement to the media. He accused the Prime Minister of deception and changing his statement with regard to the question of whether he had discussed incidents in the Gulf of Piran. In all his statements, the PM refuted claims that he was discussing coordinating or provoking incidents in the Gulf of Piran. However, he has never denied talking about a different issue - calming the situation after the incident involving MP Janez Podobnik at the Sečovlje border crossing. On the basis of a report by the working group for assessing the work of the Slovene Intelligence and Security Agency (SOVA), such facts were also presented to the Government of the Republic of Slovenia.

 

(Photo: Primož Lavre/Salomon 2000)

 

According to the PM, such actions are the result of the fact that the Social Democrats MP, Anton Rop, has put Slovenia in an awkward international position, as he publicly admitted that SOVA had eavesdropped on the Prime Minister of the Republic of Croatia. The action of MP Anton Rop significantly undermines the reputation of the Republic of Slovenia and the resolution of outstanding issues between the two countries.

 

Equally incorrect statements were given by the MP Dušan Kumer with regard to statements and press releases by SOVA. The agency has always claimed it has no evidence to support statements made by Anton Rop, but it has not denied the existence of now publicly known recordings of a conversation between Janez Janša and Ivo Sanader on calming the situation at the Sečovlje border crossing, which could not be a basis for action, according to the Slovene Intelligence and Security Agency Act; therefore SOVA did not make an official transcript or other document, which would require legal grounds. If anyone officially entitled to be informed by SOVA received any information on the basis of this recording, this is an abuse of SOVA for political purposes.