BRATISLAVA, March 30, (WEBNOVINY) – Defense Minister Lubomir Galko considers the case of a soldier of the Presidential Honor Guard, caught carrying drugs, to be a personal failure. “We have a very effective system of checks not only for narcotics, but for alcohol as well. In case of such failure, any member of the armed forces leaves without the right to retirement pension, regardless of how many years they served. Our members will have to seriously consider whether they would risk their social benefits, which they could be eligible for the rest of their lives, for such failure,” emphasized the minister.
The recent case was brought to light by the NOVY CAS daily this Wednesday. In inspecting a vehicle carrying three members of the Honor Guard, the Bratislava police found that one of them possessed marijuana and pervitin (methamphetamine) worth over 100 euro. According to Bratislava police spokesman Frantisek Peczar, the soldier has been charged with possession of psychotropic substances and their trafficking. Defense Minister Galko told SITA that the accused immediately asked to be discharged from the armed forces and his superior agreed. “He is currently not a member of the armed forces,” adds Galko. The soldier only served three years in the armed forces and will not be eligible for retirement pension or any other social benefits connected to serving in the army.
SITA