BRATISLAVA, April 12, (WEBNOVINY) — Minister of Finance Ivan Miklos believes that former Prime Minister and Chairman of the strongest opposition party SMER-SD Robert Fico is “the last person in Slovakia that could talk about corruption and cronyism.” Ivan Miklos said this in his response to Fico’s accusations of his party’s political cronyism in connection with the lease of the building for the Tax Office in Kosice. SMER chair called on Miklos to resign over this case on Monday.
Minister of Finance and Vice Chairman of SDKU-DS Ivan Miklos says, however, that if the mentioned lease of the Tax Office’s building was the case, it was the case of ex-prime minister Robert Fico as the less advantageous and more expensive contract on the lease of smaller and worse premises a few days prior to the general elections in June 2010 was signed during his term in office. “I am really stunned that Robert Fico has the gall to call this a case and interpret it as he does,” said Miklos on Tuesday.
Miklos claims that the current management of the Tax Office sealed a more advantageous lease compared with the contract concluded under Robert Fico and will save EUR 700,000 every year, i.e. EUR 3.5 million in total over the five years based on the new contract. Miklos also added that the change in building’s lease was conducted completely in accordance with law. He also challenged Fico to attend a public discussion on TV where he would be willing to discuss the case. “Let’s go on the air together and discuss the issue. Fico is afraid and has been avoiding this discussion for years and he knows very well why,” said Miklos.
Robert Fico accused Director of the Tax Directorate Miroslav Mikulcik, appointed by Minister of Finance Ivan Miklos, that he secured a multi-million euro deal for regional head of SDKU-DS in Nitra Ondrej Scurko, namely the lease of the building for the Tax Office in Kosice, for which the Tax Directorate is to pay almost EUR 6.6 million to Scurko’s company Nitra Invest over five years. Fico claims that this is a perfect example of cronyism and Finance Minister Miklos should therefore resign. Fico added that it was very probable that part of this sum would end up in SDKU’s purse.
SITA