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Commenting on a leaked order for a covert investigation of transactions of Janša and several relatives for the past 13 years, Janša asked people to imagine such an order being issued against his political opponents while he was in power.

People would "scream their lungs out about a new totalitarianism, a coup d'etat, repression. Now, there is none of that", he argued.

Janša said that the order, leaked to the press a day after he received it, was based on provisions envisaging a financial investigation if a criminal or pre-trial procedure shows reasons to suspect illegal sources for more than EUR 50,000 in assets.

"In my case, none of these conditions is met, which is why this is pure abuse," said Janša, who has been convicted of involvement in bribery at the court of first instance in the Patria trial and accused by the Corruption Prevention Commission of failing to account for EUR 210,000 worth of assets.

The former PM believes the ongoing procedure is unconstitutional, since a number of Constitutional Court rulings have rejected any forms of covert methods or measures.

Janša also referred to an anonymous letter whose author claims that many people at the state prosecution are preoccupied with Janša. According to Janša, it is not him but democracy, trust in the rule of law and its institutions that are being suffocated by this.

Dragutin Mate, interior minister under the SDS-led government and presently the chair of the parliamentary Intelligence Oversight Commission, came out in defence of Janša.

Mate expressed concern over a possible abuse of the prosecution and argued it was completely unacceptable that the prosecution can conduct covert investigations against Slovenian citizens without them having any kind of knowledge of this.

He explained that the parliamentary commission had quizzed the General Police Administration about police activities connected to the investigation order and received confirmation that covert methods are also being used.

The specialised state prosecution responded to the developments today by dismissing the allegedly leaked document as falsified while admitting that an investigation against Janša was under way.

The prosecution explained that the investigation was launched on the basis of a written proposal, data from the Austrian money laundering prevention office and the findings of the Corruption Prevention Commission.

The commission meanwhile responded to Janša's claims that he had accounted for all his assets before the Tax Administration (DURS) this year and would have done the same for the anti-graft body had he been given the chance.

The commission questioned Janša's explanations for DURS given the ongoing investigation, while repeating that Janša had every chance to explain things for the commission.

That he was not able to or did not wish to do so is evident from the recording of his interview before the commission as well from the inconsistent explanations given publicly, the Corruption Prevention Commission argued.

It added that it was obviously easier for some to unleash a fierce attack on institutions and procedures than to explain to the public and to authorities the source of cash and property that exceeds official income.

Justice Minister Senko Pličanič, Interior Minister Gregor Virant and State Prosecutor General Zvonko Fišer condemned the leaking of confidential information and documents in statements today.

Fišer's office wrote that the publication of the investigation order was a direct and unacceptable attack on the prosecution. The same goes for the anonymous claims that the prosecution is a tool in the hands of politics.

Pličanič moreover noted that leaking confidential documents had become common practice and that the next step could mean "confidential documents becoming subject to trading".

POP TV reported on Monday that the specialised state prosecution had been investigating for a month the origin of assets of those who stood trial in the Patria corruption case with special focus on the financial dealings of Janša and Zagožen and transactions involving their relatives.