BRATISLAVA, March 17, (WEBNOVINY)- SNS MP and ex-construction minister Igor Stefanov accused on Thursday Interior Minister Daniel Lipsic that 40 opposition and coalition MPs and several journalists have been eavesdropped with his consent. “Lipsic is trying to concentrate power in his hands. He is exerting pressure on everybody who does agree with him,” Stefanov stated. He specified he got the information on police eavesdropping from well-informed sources. The SNS will consider whether not to turn on the authorized parliamentary committee to check this information. Stefanov underscored that the police tapping of MPs and reporters is associated with control over power structures.
Stefanov also said that the interior minister published charges in the case of the so-called notice-board tender last week because he learned about topics being prepared at the SNS headquarters. “Lipsic knew about topics which have been discussed at the SNS headquarters. He wanted to overshadow important topics with his bombastic statements,“ said Stefanov about whom Lipsic reported last week that the prosecutor will ask the parliament to vote on stripping his immunity to enable charge him in the notice-board tender case.
Stefanov turned down Lipsic’s claims that damage of EUR 3.6 billion was caused by the tender. Stefanov argued that not even ten percent of this sum was withdrawn while each single euro is documented. “No damage was caused,” he stated. According to him the notice-board tender is a bubble fabricated by the media and the then opposition. It was transparent, according to him and helped kick off drawing on euro-funds. SNS is preparing a slander motion against Lipsic due to his news conference about Stefanov.
The investigator has asked the prosecution last week to ask Parliament to waive Stefanov’s immunity. Stefanov is one of five accused in the case of the so-called bulletin-board tender, against whom the investigator has brought charges. Another charged person should be Stefanov’s predecessor Marian Janusek, according to Lipsic’s information.
Stefanov became minister after Marian Janusek, whom the SNS was forced to withdraw under pressure from Prime Minister Robert Fico due to the bulletin-board tender case. Later, Fico withdrew Stefanov as well. The bulletin board tender was won by a consortium of two SNS-friendly companies – Avocat and Zamedia. The contract included providing services, creating TV ads and developing logos, for which it overcharged. According to the Supreme Audit Office audit, the tender was not in accordance with the law. The European Commission also has reservations toward the tender and has initiated proceedings against Slovakia for violating the Treaty on EC.
SITA