BRATISLAVA, August 13, (WEBNOVINY)-.Prime Minister Iveta Radicova is prepared to sign again an agreement with the Slovak Biathlon Association on a financial subsidy for the completion of the national biathlon complex in Osrblie provided that the association will pick a new supplier of reconstruction works in a selection procedure and disperse all doubts on legitimacy of the use of the allotted funds. “Due to quick and uncompromising attitude of the prime minister, interior minister and investigators the money is still available,” has said the press department of the Cabinet Office in its statement. The Cabinet Office was to contribute EUR 300,000 from the PM reserve of the total government allotment of EUR 1.6 million destined for the completion of the Osrblie stadium that is to host the next year’s European championship. However, the Cabinet withdrew from the agreement with the Slovak Biathlon Union after details about the alleged fraud came to light.
Radicova sincerely wishes that Slovakia could host the European biathlon championship next year. Regarding the completion of the Osrblie biathlon facility she finds it unacceptable that a firm, which is suspected of corrupt behavior and the selection of which the Cabinet Office could not influence completes the construction funded from state coffers. “Corruption is unacceptable and we will never tolerate it,” said Radicova. This is why the investigation has been taking place in coordination with the prime minister and the Cabinet Office, states the Cabinet Office. The prime minister and Interior Minister Daniel Lipsic are kept updated on the course of the investigation and they informed the public on the case just after the risk of thwarting the investigation faded away.
In 2010, the authorized representative of the company Peter Knazik was sentenced for machinations in public procurement and public auction and tax evasion, too. These misdemeanors regarded the public procurement to finish the Osrblie biathlon facility. The Office for Fight against Corruption is also checking suspicions of subvention fraud of representatives of the Slovak Biathlon Association.
Earlier this week, Radicova and Lipsic informed that a corruption case was uncovered concerning the government grant for finishing the Osrblie national biathlon complex. According to Lipsic, the grant went to the Slovak Biathlon Association, which should allocate the funds to the Osrblie Biathlon Club. The 1.6 million-euro grant consisted of a million euros earmarked by the Ministry of Education and 300,000 euros both from the Ministry of Finance and from the reserve of the prime minister. Radicova said that an attempt to collect one-tenth of the grant as a bribe was discovered. “I regret this, we were in a critical situation and we hardly put together the money for constructing the complex so that European Championships can take place in Slovakia next year,” said Radicova underlining that the Cabinet wanted to support a sport achieving great results. Now she feels sorry for the fact that transfer of the funds had to be stopped and the complex will not be completed with the use of state funds. “Immediately there were individuals who pretended they were entitled to ten percent,” Radicova said, adding that she considers it a paradox that there even was no competition among several sport clubs for the funds, so there was no need for choosing who will acquire them.
The police had suspicion that there could be attempts to acquire a ten-percent bribe in this case. Therefore, on July 29 a raid was carried out, resulting in arresting suspicious individuals when they were receiving probably a partial payment of 30,000 euros. Three individuals are being prosecuted for indirect bribery, one for mediating a bribe. “Bribery investigation will not stop in front of ministries’ door,” Lipsic emphasized.
SITA