House Committee Passes No Resolution on Kuffa's Helicopter Flight (3)

Bratislava, April 16 (TASR) - The House Agriculture and Environment Committee decided not to pass any resolution on the helicopter flight of Environment Ministry state secretary Filip Kuffa above the Mala Fatra National Park, TASR learnt on Tuesday. Kuffa claimed that it was a working flight with respect to the zoning and maintained that he has violated no law. This view doesn't sit well with Committee vice-chair Tamara Stohlova (PS), however, who sees the flight as a breach of the law and called on Environment Minister Tomas Taraba (SNS nominee) to oust Kuffa from his post. "We flew normally, in compliance with the law," declared the state secretary, adding that he doesn't consider the flight a misuse of privilege. According to him, he doesn't want to make decisions on the zoning from a remote office, but rather see the terrain in person. The allegations that the helicopter noise disturbed protected fauna and flora in the given zone are only hypothetical in Kuffa's view. Kuffa didn't answer the question as to whether the pilot had any permission from a relevant district authority to fly so close to the surface and told reporters to ask the pilot himself. He underlined that the pilot of the helicopter has 40 years of experience with flying. Stohlova pointed out that the state secretary failed to explain his actions and attempted to mislead the Committee. "The conclusion is quite clear that the state secretary violated or has approved the violation of the law and is incapable of condemning it. He is incapable of distinguishing what is the misuse of privilege," she noted. Stohlova has reached out to the Transport Authority and air operation services over the flight. "I've received an answer from the air operation services thus far that confirmed that operators hadn't been informed of this helicopter flight," she said. Non-parliamentary 'Democrats' party has contacted the Slovak Environmental Inspectorate with a request to look into the flight. Former Environmental Ministry state secretary Michal Kica (Democrats) is convinced that the flight was unlawful. "However, at the end of the day, it is likely the helicopter pilot who will take the fall, if it won't turn out during the inspection that this flight was ordered by Kuffa," added Kica. Committee member Alojz Hlina (SaS) thinks that state secretary Kuffa is a coward. "It followed from the debate that he's ready and capable of shifting the blame to the helicopter pilot. That is really ugly, cowardly and unmanly in my book," said Hlina. Committee member Rastislav Kratky ('Slovakia') expects state bodies to start taking action at their own initiative and on the ex offo basis in the case of the helicopter flyover and a four-wheeler ride in the protected zones. The party pointed out that Kuffa's hearing has yielded no answers as to why he flew over the protected areas. "The state secretary failed to back up with anything his statement that he hasn't violated the law. It was all just about personal attacks against opposition lawmakers," added the party, which urged minister Taraba to oust Kuffa. Kuffa apparently flew on a helicopter without permission over the most heavily protected zones of the Mala Fatra National Park, an action that supposedly disturbed nesting birds that are on the endangered list. mf