Slovak police have attempted to detain the chairman of the Democrats party and former defence minister Jaroslav Nadya in connection with an investigation into ammunition donations to Ukraine. However, the detention did not take place because Naď is currently on holiday in Canada, as he confirmed on social media.

According to Deník N, the investigation, led by the European Public Prosecutor's Office, focuses on the process of acquiring ammunition that Slovakia donated to Ukraine during Nada's tenure in the governments of Igor Matović and Eduard Heger (2020-2023). Specifically, it examines whether the discarded ammunition was first sold to a private company for a low price and then bought back for a higher amount to be handed over to Ukraine.

Alexander Gursky, the former head of the state-owned company Konstrukta Defense, has been detained and a search is underway for Petr Kozak, the former Secretary General of the Ministry of Defence.

On social media, Jaroslav Naď described the event as a "circus" and expressed surprise that the police did not know about his stay in Canada, which he has publicly mentioned several times. He stressed that he was proud of his assistance to Ukraine and was ready to cooperate fully with the investigating authorities upon his return. "I consider aid to Ukraine to be an act of humanity and responsibility. I would do it again," napsal Naď.

The attempted detention sparked strong reactions from the opposition. President of Progressive Slovakia Michal Šimečka označil akci za "politically motivated revenge" of the current governing coalition led by Smer. According to him, the attempt to criminalize opposition politicians for supporting Ukraine in the fight against Russian aggression is unacceptable. SaS MP Juraj Krupa expressed similar views, saying that the donated ammunition was useless for the Slovak army and that handing it over to Ukraine saved the state the costs of disposal.

On the contrary, the Minister of the Interior Matúš Šutaj Eštok He rejected speculation about a political order and said the details of the case would be provided by the European prosecutor. The defence minister Robert Kaliňák confirmed that the investigation falls under the European Public Prosecutor's Office and concerns financial irregularities in the purchase and donation of ammunition.

During his tenure as Defence Minister, Jaroslav Nad played a key role in providing military assistance to Ukraine, which is facing Russian aggression. Among other things, Slovakia donated MiG-29 fighter jets and the S-300 air defence system, which has drawn criticism from some politicians, especially Smer, who claim that these actions have weakened Slovakia's defence capabilities.

Nad and his allies, on the other hand, argue that helping Ukraine was in Slovakia's interest because strengthening Ukraine's defence contributes to the security of the whole of Europe.

After his return from Canada, Jaroslav Naď is expected to testify in connection with the investigation. The case remains open and raises questions about the transparency and political motives of the police action. We will continue to monitor developments.

gnews.cz - GH