Prague, Feb 27 (CTK) – PM in resignation Andrej Babis (ANO) asked Czech General Inspection of Security Corps (GIBS) head Michal Murin to resign, GIBS spokesman Ivo Mitacek on Tuesday confirmed the information Aktualne.cz server had from Murin.
Mitacek also said the Finance Ministry launched an inspection in the GIBS headquarters in Prague on Monday, without relating both events in the press release.
Pirates head Ivan Bartos told reporters on Tuesday he would ask Babis (for ANO) about the reasons for dismissing Murin in the Chamber of Deputies on Thursday.
The GIBS investigates suspected criminal activities of the police, customs and prison officers.
The GIBS director is nominated and dismissed by the prime minister at the cabinet’s proposal after the matter has been debated in the lower house security committee.
“I was twice invited to the Government Office where the prime minister asked me to resign,” Murin told the server.
He said Babis argued with a loss of trust.
“He said if we made an agreement, it would be without a scandal. He said it would be best if I finished by the end of February,” Murin added.
Communists (KSCM) chairman Vojtech Filip confirmed he had heard from Babis about his intent at one of their meetings about the cabinet’s programme.
“I was not surprised by this,” Filip said, adding there was a great rivalry between the individual police departments that GIBS should have tackled, but it did not.
It does not matter whether the PM is in resignation or not, it is about the functioning of the system, Filip said.
Murin has led the GIBS since December 2016 when he replaced Ivan Bilek in the post, who resigned after a break-out of a corruption scandal involving suspicious connections between business people, police officers and politicians.
The server reiterates the fact that Babis, his family members and ANO deputy chairman Jaroslav Faltynek are currently prosecuted on suspicion of an EU subsidy fraud in the Capi hnizdo farm case. The case is investigated by Pavel Nevtipil, whom Babis repeatedly accused of being directed by the mafia. Babis calls his prosecution expedient.
Murin’s resignation would be just one of a number of personnel changes implemented by the cabinet in resignation since the start of 2018. The government has already sacked CzechInvest agency director general Karel Kucera, Na Bulovce Hospital director Andrea Vrbovska, Ostrava Teaching Hospital director Svatopluk Nemecek and Czech Post director general Martin Elkan.
