STA, 22 January 2019 - Police have confirmed a probe into media-reported allegations of mobbing at the Culture Ministry which some reports connected to the suicide of an employee. Prime Minister Marjan Šarec has already asked the culture minister to take a stance on accusations made by unionists and the ministry's employees.
The Ljubljana Police Administration said on Tuesday that an investigation would be introduced and the state prosecution notified should reasons to suspect a criminal offence be confirmed.
Culture Minister Dejan Prešiček, who took over last September, has confirmed for TV Slovenija that he met with Šarec over the issue and announced a written statement.
Prešiček also met the Glosa trade union of culture, which wrote to Šarec to express their opposition "to any interventions in a safe, healthy, respectful working environment" and "utter contempt for torment/chicanery/mobbing".
The union added it was shaken by "the suicide at the ministry for (non)-culture", and called on Šarec to closely examine the case and "also react in the direction of dismissing Dejan Prešiček if inappropriate and despicable behaviour is involved".
Minister denies accusations, accuses staff of lying
While the statement by the minister requested by Šarec is still forthcoming, Prešiček said he had asked Glosa "sincerely what it was that I did wrong, why I could be to blame, feeling that this blame does not exist, that I did nothing of that sort".
He also announced a workers' assembly at the ministry to help build dialogue and establish "what was happening and why this tragic event occurred".
In his first response to the story, which was broken by the Požareport tabloid news portal, Prešiček wrote of manipulation and rejected any wrongdoing.
"Obviously some of the ministry's employees are abusing a family tragedy for base attacks against me personally and my co-workers at the ministry," Prešiček wrote.
