Jozef Hrtus

Jozef Hrtus was the head of the Banská Bystrica bishopric office during the controversial 1995 SIS operation involving the fake sale of the triptych 'Adoration of the Magi.' Hrtus was arrested alongside a restorer when the police intervened in the sale, which was part of a broader scheme orchestrated by the Slovak Intelligence Service (SIS) to discredit Bishop Rudolf Baláž, who had aligned himself with then-President Michal Kováč. His involvement in this case highlights the tensions and political machinations within Slovakia during a tumultuous period in the country's post-communist history.