BRATISLAVA, May 15, (WEBNOVINY) – The sacked Director General and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the National Highway Company (NDS), a.s. Alan Sitar will not get a severance pay, stated Transport Minister Jan Figel (KDH) in a Sunday political debate program of the Slovak Television (STV). Figel explained that stricter rules of remuneration of managers in state-run firms controlled by the ministry are now in effect. The public contest for a new director of the state-run NDS will be announced at the start of next week. Figel will also then announce when Sitar’s successor could be selected.
The transport minister stated that the former management of the company disappointed him, as it did not observe ethical principles in spite of respecting the law in awarding public contracts. Sitar was dismissed due to dubious contracts that the NDS signed before tougher rules of public procurement took effect. Figel added that he decided to dismiss Sitar from the post on his own, without being pressured by anyone.
Minister Figel dismissed Sitar from the top post at NDS on May 12. Earlier that day, the National Highway Company announced it was canceling several recent orders and contracts except for those directly related to highway construction approved before the Public Procurement Act revision took effect as of April 1. This decision by company director Alan Sitar was based on instructions that Transport Minister Jan Figel.
An anonymous letter by NDS employees drew attention to these somewhat dubious contracts. It pointed to wasteful spending on various nonessential services. The transport minister ordered cancellation of some contests and contracts for services and was not satisfied by Sitar’s clarifications regarding the funding of these contracts. Prime Minister Iveta Radicova said on Thursday that the Cabinet Office would audit the NDS because inspections are carried out automatically in similar cases.
SITA