PS Warns of Political Corruption in Ambulance Tender

Bratislava, 7 August (TASR) – Progressive Slovakia (PS) claims that Health Minister Kamil Sasko (Voice-SD) is "rewarding" donors of the Voice-SD party in the ambulance tender, describing the process as a clear case of political corruption. Speaking at a press briefing on Thursday, Oskar Dvorak, the vice-chair of the Health Committee and PS member, stated that PS has acquired unofficial results of the tender. According to him, half of all ambulance service points will likely be awarded to the state, as in previous years, while the other half is to be split between two companies: the financial group Agel, which will receive nearly 25 percent of all points, and Emergency Medical Solutions, a company established in May this year with no prior experience, headquartered in an unmarked building on the outskirts of Bratislava. Dvorak stated there are suspected links between Emergency Medical Solutions and Agel, claiming that Stefan Baumann, whose son is a donor to Voice-SD, is behind the company. He added that Interior Minister Matus Sutaj Estok (Voice-SD) defended the tender vigorously because Baumann and Oliver Baumann Jr. supply the Interior Ministry with expensive vehicle maintenance contracts through their firm Bayern Center. Oliver Baumann Jr. also ran as a candidate for Voice-SD in the 2022 local elections. „This is a textbook example of political corruption that proves the tender must be cancelled immediately. It cannot continue, and Minister Sasko should resign,” Dvorak stated. mf