BRATISLAVA September 28, (WEBNOVINY) — Former Economy Minister Lubomir Jahnatek, now opposition SMER-SD deputy Lubomir Jahnatek claims that current Finance Minister Ivan Miklos bears responsibility for alleged mismanagement in the National Agency for Development of Small and Medium Enterprises (NADSME), which coordinates activities at international, national, regional and local level to help small and medium-sized businesses grow and expand. Jahnatek said at a news conference on Tuesday that agency’s former director Bystrik Berthoty nominated by Ivan Miklos, who served temporarily as acting Economy Minister in 2006, set up processes that allegedly triggered off illegal manipulation with agency’s financial sources since 2006.
“Ivan Miklos bears responsibility for the current situation in the agency because the processes were set up and people were nominated in his era,” said Jahnatek. He said that Prime Minister Iveta Radicova thus scored an own goal to the SDKU-DS last week when she talked about asset-stripping in the National Agency for Development of Small and Medium Enterprises. “The Prime Minister talked about asset-stripping in the agency with a serious face and said she would start action and we supported that but she should address her party colleague Ivan Miklos,” said Mr. Jahnatek.
“Attention of Ivan Miklos was focused on the rescue of SKK 1.5 billion, which Economy Minister Pavol Rusko who served before Miklos lost control of, during those few weeks he acted as a substitute of Economy Minister. After that, ministers Jirko Malcharek and Lubomir Jahnatek could have been controlling activities in the agency for five following years,” said Finance Minister spokesman Martin Jaros in reaction for the SITA news agency.
Jahnatek confirmed that agency’s financial sources may have been handled unlawfully via the daughter company Fond Fondov established in 2006 to provide venture capital for innovative projects. He said that EUR 30 million is out of state’s reach. “Contracts are set in the way so that they cannot be terminated. Mikulas Dzurinda’s government approved the unlawful contracts, which do not allow audit of financial flow in funds. The contracts are similar to those signed in the process of privatization of state property,” added Mr. Jahnatek. He believes that men called Sotak and Struhar are behind all funds that were established in the agency under the second government of Mikulas Dzurinda and which allegedly unlawfully handled financial sources in the agency.
SITA