The transfer of Simona Drenik isn’t a form of punishment for the wiretapping scandal last summer. Minister Erjavec said the circumstances surrounding the affair are still being investigated by a commission. He added that once they have been established, the ministry will only then determine a course of action.

Touching on the transfer of Drenik, Erjavec told the press ahead of a coalition meeting at Brdo pri Kranju, that the Civil Servants Act does allow the transfer of employees, previously agreed by both ministries and the employee.

"We have signed such an agreement. Simona Drenik has a PhD in law and will be more than welcome at the Ministry of Justice, where they lack international-law experts," continued Erjavec.

Minister Erjavec rejected claims that the transfer happened because of the wiretapping scandal, when phone conversations between Drenik and Slovenia’s former judge on the arbitration panel, Jernej Sekolec, were leaked to the public. Both officials decided to resign because of the tape leak.