Ivan Lexa
Encyclopedia
Ivan Lexa, Ing. is the former head of the Slovak Secret Service
from 1995 to 1998. One of the closest allies of the former autocratic Prime Minister
of Slovakia Vladimír Mečiar
, under Lexa the Secret Service committed numerous high-profile politically motivated crimes.
In 2000, Ivan Lexa fled Slovakia and became an international fugitive and target of an intense search by the Interpol
. He was captured in 2002 in Umhlanga
, South Africa
and extradited back to Slovakia. In the meantime, Lexa changed his looks, losing weight and gaining muscle and tan, making his appearance the focus of cover pages in Slovak media. Slovak courts have never found Ivan Lexa guilty of any wrongdoing and in two cases Lexa was covered by the amnesties
granted by then acting President Vladimír Mečiar
.
. He studied anorganic technology at CHTF SVŠT. Later he was employed in the Slovnaft
refinery.
made Ivan Lexa the head of the Office of the Government of Slovakia. After Mečiar's political party HZDS won the electionin 1992, he was reinstated in this position. In 1993, Mečiar's government tried to make Ivan Lexa the Minister of Privatisation, something that is in the competence of the President of Slovakia. President Michal Kováč
however refused to elect him.
To walk around this obstacle, the government made Ivan Lexa the Deputy head of the Ministry of Privatisation, while letting the post of Minister vacant, making Lexa de facto run the Ministry.
, members of the parliament representing HZDS arranged for a change in the law, making the parliament elect the head of the Slovak Secret Service
, instead of the President. On April 18, 1995 Vladimír Mečiar
named Ivan Lexa the Director of Slovak Secret Service.
Immediately after his naming, Lexa began several operations, some of which have since been published in the Slovak media.
On April 9, 1999, the Slovak parliament
elected to take away the immunity of member of parliament Ivan Lexa and handed him over to the police for suspicion of abduction, robbery, not announcing the theft of a vehicle, feigned buying of a painting, helping in placing an explosive system and for the unlawful holding of a spying device.
Ivan Lexa was put in jail on April 15, 1999 and released, after 95 days, on July 19, 1999. Afterwards Lexa checked sick at work (the parliament) and disappeared. As efforts to locate him were unsuccessful and on July 10, 2000, Interpol
started a world-wide search.
Slovenská informacná služba
Slovenská informačná služba is an intelligence agency of the government of Slovakia.- History :Slovenská informačná služba was established on January 21, 1993 as a descendant of the Federálna bezpečnostná informačná služba FBIS...
from 1995 to 1998. One of the closest allies of the former autocratic Prime Minister
Prime minister
A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
of Slovakia Vladimír Mečiar
Vladimír Meciar
Vladimír Mečiar is a Slovak politician who was Prime Minister of Slovakia from 1990 to 1991, from 1992 to 1994, and from 1994 to 1998. He is the leader of the People's Party - Movement for a Democratic Slovakia...
, under Lexa the Secret Service committed numerous high-profile politically motivated crimes.
In 2000, Ivan Lexa fled Slovakia and became an international fugitive and target of an intense search by the Interpol
Interpol
Interpol, whose full name is the International Criminal Police Organization – INTERPOL, is an organization facilitating international police cooperation...
. He was captured in 2002 in Umhlanga
Umhlanga
Umhlanga, or Reed Dance ceremony, is an annual Swazi and Zulu tradition held in August or September. Tens of thousands of unmarried and childless Swazi/Zulu girls and women travel from their villages to participate in the eight-day event...
, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
and extradited back to Slovakia. In the meantime, Lexa changed his looks, losing weight and gaining muscle and tan, making his appearance the focus of cover pages in Slovak media. Slovak courts have never found Ivan Lexa guilty of any wrongdoing and in two cases Lexa was covered by the amnesties
Amnesty
Amnesty is a legislative or executive act by which a state restores those who may have been guilty of an offense against it to the positions of innocent people, without changing the laws defining the offense. It includes more than pardon, in as much as it obliterates all legal remembrance of the...
granted by then acting President Vladimír Mečiar
Vladimír Meciar
Vladimír Mečiar is a Slovak politician who was Prime Minister of Slovakia from 1990 to 1991, from 1992 to 1994, and from 1994 to 1998. He is the leader of the People's Party - Movement for a Democratic Slovakia...
.
Life and career
Ivan Lexa was born into an influential and wealthy family, his father Vladimír Lexa senior was a minister in communist CzechoslovakiaCzechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
. He studied anorganic technology at CHTF SVŠT. Later he was employed in the Slovnaft
Slovnaft
Slovnaft is the largest oil refinery in Slovakia. It was established in 1957 in Bratislava. In 2000, Slovnaft became part of the Hungarian MOL Group, which owns 98.4 % of the shares. Slovnaft has two foreign branches nowadays: Slovnaft CZ in the Czech Republic and Slovnaft Polska in Poland...
refinery.
Political career
In January 1991, Prime minister Vladimír MečiarVladimír Meciar
Vladimír Mečiar is a Slovak politician who was Prime Minister of Slovakia from 1990 to 1991, from 1992 to 1994, and from 1994 to 1998. He is the leader of the People's Party - Movement for a Democratic Slovakia...
made Ivan Lexa the head of the Office of the Government of Slovakia. After Mečiar's political party HZDS won the electionin 1992, he was reinstated in this position. In 1993, Mečiar's government tried to make Ivan Lexa the Minister of Privatisation, something that is in the competence of the President of Slovakia. President Michal Kováč
Michal Kovác
Michal Kováč was a Slovak politician in the early 1990s and the first President of Slovakia after the creation of that state from 1993 to 1998....
however refused to elect him.
To walk around this obstacle, the government made Ivan Lexa the Deputy head of the Ministry of Privatisation, while letting the post of Minister vacant, making Lexa de facto run the Ministry.
Slovak Secret Service
After the Slovak parliamentary election, 1994Slovak parliamentary election, 1994
The 1994 parliamentary elections in Slovakia took place on September 30 and October 1, 1994.It was a premature election that became necessary after the Vladimír Mečiar 1992 government had been recalled in March 1994 by the parliament and a new temporary government under Jozef Moravčík had been...
, members of the parliament representing HZDS arranged for a change in the law, making the parliament elect the head of the Slovak Secret Service
Slovenská informacná služba
Slovenská informačná služba is an intelligence agency of the government of Slovakia.- History :Slovenská informačná služba was established on January 21, 1993 as a descendant of the Federálna bezpečnostná informačná služba FBIS...
, instead of the President. On April 18, 1995 Vladimír Mečiar
Vladimír Meciar
Vladimír Mečiar is a Slovak politician who was Prime Minister of Slovakia from 1990 to 1991, from 1992 to 1994, and from 1994 to 1998. He is the leader of the People's Party - Movement for a Democratic Slovakia...
named Ivan Lexa the Director of Slovak Secret Service.
Immediately after his naming, Lexa began several operations, some of which have since been published in the Slovak media.
- Unlawful wiretapping and spying
- Abduction of the President's son into another country, including light torture
- Hiring of non-existing members of the Secret Service
- High-profile assassination of Róbert Remiáš in 1996, widely known to be a mafia hit under contract from within the Secret Service
On April 9, 1999, the Slovak parliament
National Council of the Slovak Republic
The National Council of the Slovak Republic , abbreviated to NR SR, is the national parliament of Slovakia. It is unicameral, and consists of 150 MPs, who are elected by universal suffrage under proportional representation every four years....
elected to take away the immunity of member of parliament Ivan Lexa and handed him over to the police for suspicion of abduction, robbery, not announcing the theft of a vehicle, feigned buying of a painting, helping in placing an explosive system and for the unlawful holding of a spying device.
Ivan Lexa was put in jail on April 15, 1999 and released, after 95 days, on July 19, 1999. Afterwards Lexa checked sick at work (the parliament) and disappeared. As efforts to locate him were unsuccessful and on July 10, 2000, Interpol
Interpol
Interpol, whose full name is the International Criminal Police Organization – INTERPOL, is an organization facilitating international police cooperation...
started a world-wide search.
External links
- http://www.sme.sk/c/995682/chronologia-kauz-exriaditela-sis-ivana-lexu.htmlChronology of everything Ivan Lexa is responsible for as published by the influential broadsheet SMESME (newspaper)SME or Denník SME is the most widely read and very influential mainstream broadsheet in Slovakia.Its target group is very wide, but officially it focuses on readers in bigger cities and agglomerations. Its circulation in December 2006 was 76 590. It appears 6 times a week. It is issued by Petit...
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