Kurilovska: MPs' Firefighter Probe Confirms Interior Ministry on Right Track

Bratislava, 11 March (TASR) - A parliamentary probe at the Firefighter and Emergency Service (HaZZ) on Wednesday confirmed that the Interior Ministry is proceeding properly with the modernisation process, said Deputy Interior Minister Lucia Kurilovska (Voice-SD) after the inspection. According to Kurilovska, the ministry is acting professionally, transparently and in line with the law. "Lawmakers were given access to contractual documentation during the inspection at the HaZZ Presidium and were provided with information on the technical condition of the delivered vehicles. They were also allowed to conduct a visual inspection of one of the AHZS 1B Scania vehicles," she said. Kurilovska added that 39 vehicles had been delivered by Wednesday. "The delivery of all 80 AHZS 1B vehicles is planned by the end of June 2026," she noted. The deputy minister pointed out that the entire procurement process has been reviewed by the Public Procurement Office. "The result of the inspection, delivered on 8 April 2025, clearly confirmed that the ministry proceeded properly and that all legal requirements were met," she added. Earlier on Wednesday, opposition MP Juraj Krupa (SaS) said after the parliamentary inspection at HaZZ that he plans to forward the findings concerning the controversial firefighter vehicles to the law-enforcement authorities. According to him, LRK Trading, the supplier of the 80 vehicles — 71 of which will be reimbursed by the European Union — is acting suspiciously. The MP has also repeatedly pointed to the price, which he says is higher than the one for the purchase of the same vehicles in the Czech Republic. The opposition has been pointing to problems with the purchase of the firefighter vehicles since September 2024. In addition to suspicions regarding the financing of the purchase, it has also criticised the allegedly low quality of the vehicles. mf/df