Robert Črepinko, the current Assistant Director of the Criminal Police Directorate at the General Police Directorate, will take over the National Investigation Office on the authority of the Director General of the Police on 1 January 2010. In a press release of 31 December 2009, Mr Črepinko presented current and planned activities of the National Investigation Office.

Robert Črepinko

Mr Črepinko stressed that "this project has been designed by experts in co-operation with the widest circle of professionals from various state bodies and institutions." The National Investigation Office has been established with a view to furthering investigations into serious economic crime and corruption, as well as other types of serious crime.

A group of 25 investigators, senior criminal police inspectors, and 3 heads of investigation will begin work on January. "Next year we will also employ external experts that we need to achieve our goals."

The smooth functioning of the National Investigation Office will depend on experts with appropriate knowledge, firm will and strong motivation for investigating serious economic crime, corruption and other serious crime, as well as seizing illegally acquired assets. In order to make the NIO successful, close co-operation between various competent authorities will be needed.

"I am sure that we will meet the expectations of the profession and contribute to the efforts of the Criminal Police towards improving the quality of investigations into serious economic crime, corruption and other types of serious crime," concluded Mr Črepinko.

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After secondary school, Robert Črepinko first graduated from the Internal Affairs College and afterwards from the Faculty of Law in Ljubljana.

He has worked as a police officer and criminal police officer at various police directorates; he was a criminal police inspector at the Criminal Police Directorate from mid 2002 and was promoted to the position of Head of Section at the end of 2005; in 2007 he became Assistant Director of the Criminal Police Directorate.

During Slovenia's European Union Council Presidency, he chaired the Management Board of Europol, in which he is now alternate member. He currently chairs the Republic of Slovenia's Article 36 Committee (CATS) of the Council of the European Union, which is made up of working groups in the field of police cooperation; it drafts documents for the CORREPER and Ministers attending EU Council meetings.

Mr Črepinko speaks English and German, he has participated in various professional training courses at home and abroad.