BRATISLAVA, August 26, (WEBNOVINY) — The Supreme Court has released from pretrial custody Miroslav D. charged with machinations in public procurement of the Defense Ministry. The amount of money involved was calculated by investigators at EUR 1.7430,000 or more. The Supreme Court did not inform of the reasons why its senate sitting behind closed doors decided that the charged man suspected of accepting bribes from companies taking part in the ministry’s tenders will not stay behind bars before his trial.
The Specialized Penal Court in Banska Bystrica took Miroslav D. into custody last Friday on concerns that he might influence witnesses and continue criminal activities. The businessman filed a complaint against the decision and his complaint was brought to the Supreme Court.
Nationwide media reported this weekend that the police had arrested Miroslav D. who had EUR 176,000 in cash with him in more than ten envelopes, each with the respective amount and the name of the company written on it. Investigators charged him of having influenced ten tenders at the Defense Ministry for bribes. If the police prove that the money was from bribery, it would be the highest cash the police ever seized in a corruption case. Former Defense Minister Jaroslav Baska (SMER-SD) insists that he did not know anything about some bribery scheme at his ministry. He said that the Defense Ministry organizes the highest number of public procurements and the minister cannot have information of about all cases, as he would become insane, Baska told the Saturday issue of the SME daily adding that the minister’s subordinates are in charge of individual public procurements.
SITA