Bojan Veselinovič

Bern – The European Alliance of News Agencies (EANA) has addressed an open letter to Prime Minister Janez Janša calling on him to resolve the dispute with the Slovenian Press Agency (STA) while expressing concern about Janša’s tweet accusing STA director Bojan Veselinovič of being an accomplice to the “murder” of former STA editor-in-chief Borut Meško.

The International Press Institute, IPI, on Friday accused Prime Minister Janez Jansa of putting intense pressure on Bojan Veselinovic, director of the Slovenian Press Agency, STA, saying that this pressure "reaches worrying new heights".

Ljubljana – President Borut Pahor insists that financing of the public service performed by the Slovenian Press Agency (STA) must be restored, his office told the STA after the president yesterday tweeted that the agency plays an irreplaceable role.

Pahor served as prime minister when the act governing the STA was adopted, securing the agency’s editorial and financial independence.

Ljubljana – The European Commission has approved, under EU state aid rules, EUR 2.5 million granted by Slovenia to the Slovenian Press Agency (STA) in compensation to fulfil its public service mission.

Ljubljana – The police is leading an investigation to determine whether there are elements of suspected criminal acts prosecutable ex officio based on allegations of irregularities regarding the STA. Investigators visited the STA chief supervisor based on a number of reports of these allegations and not based on a government decree, the police has said.

Ljubljana – Slovenian Press Agency (STA) director Bojan Veselinovič has told the government he is granting it access to all books of account and documents, even though the STA has never received a formal request to that effect. He said the government should say, in writing, who will access the documents on its behalf and in what way.

Ljubljana – The prime minister’s office maintains that the Government Communication Office (UKOM) does not need any special authorisation from the government to act as the government’s representative in relation to the STA.

Ljubljana – The supervisory board of the Slovenian Press Agency (STA) has called on the government to immediately settle all of its outstanding liabilities to the STA and to comply with its legal obligations to finance the STA public service.

Ljubljana – The ZRC SAZU, the Scientific and Research Centre at the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts, is worried at escalating attacks on the STA, urging by the Government Communication Office (UKOM) to stop threatening and financially draining the news agency. UKOM denied the allegations.

Ljubljana – The government has overstepped its powers and abused the police as it tasked the Interior Ministry to examine whether STA director Bojan Veselinovič’s alleged violations of the law contained elements of suspected crime prosecutable ex officio and to act accordingly, the trade union and the association of journalists said on Friday.