The Slovenian Security Agency advised the outgoing government to destroy office phones and computers
STA, June 9, 2022 – Immediately after the general elections on April 24, the intelligence and security agency SOVA recommended to the outgoing government that its officials destroy all mobile phones they use in their work before leaving office, reports the uncensored web portal. The new Minister of the Interior, Tatjana Bobnar, is critical of this.
Investigative reports said on Thursday that on April 25, immediately after it became clear that Robert Golob’s Free Movement had won the election, SOVA sent a letter with recommendations from former Public Administration Minister Bostjan Koritnik.
Ministers, state secretaries and heads of government agencies within the Janez Janša government were called upon to “professionally destroy or keep all mobile phones and laptops they used in their work before leaving office.”
SOVA said this was due to “protection of national interests”. “In any case, such equipment should not be assigned to the next public office holder,” reads the letter, which was shared on the portal.
At today’s press conference after today’s government session, Minister Bobnar said that this was a very questionable measure. “Phones that contain messages know how to deal with it. The constitution is perfectly clear on that as well, so I don’t think another comment is needed,” she said.
Such a recommendation by SOVA is a big departure from previous practice, said Uncensored and noted that the intelligence and security agency probably exceeded its powers.
Until now, prime ministers, ministers and other civil servants have had to return encrypted and other telephones when they leave office. In such cases, the phones were handed over to their successors by the competent authorities, and before that the devices were reset to factory settings without endangering the national interests of the state in any way, the portal adds.
When the recommendation was issued, SOVO was led by Janez Stušek, who was later dismissed by the Robert Golob government on 1 June following the usual first round of replacements, which all governments usually carry out at the beginning of their term. The new government has appointed his deputy, Joško Kadivnik, as acting director of Sova.