[1][2] One of the closest allies of the former autocratic Prime Minister of Slovakia Vladimír Mečiar, under Lexa the Secret Service committed numerous high-profile politically motivated crimes.
In the meantime, Lexa changed his looks, losing weight and gaining muscle and tan, making his appearance the focus of cover pages in Slovak media.
In January 1991, Prime minister Vladimír Mečiar made Ivan Lexa the head of the Office of the Government of Slovakia.
[citation needed] On April 9, 1999, the Slovak parliament elected to take away Lexa's immunity as a member of parliament, and handed him over to the police for suspicion of abduction, robbery, not announcing the theft of a vehicle, feigned buying of a painting, helping in placing an explosive system and for the unlawful holding of a spying device.
[citation needed] Ivan Lexa was put in jail on April 15, 1999, and released after 95 days, on July 19, 1999.