UBOK Begins Criminal Proceedings for Abuse of Public Office in Ambulance Tender

Bratislava, 24 April (TASR) - The Office for Combating Organised Crime (UBOK) is conducting an extensive investigation in connection with suspicions surrounding a tender for operating emergency medical service (EMS) ambulances, TASR was told by the Police Corps headquarters on Friday. The anti-corruption unit has carried out several procedural steps aimed at clarifying the facts of the case, conducted more than a dozen interviews, and analysed a large volume of documentary evidence from multiple entities to secure relevant information and documentation. "Based on a thorough evaluation of the information obtained, and after extensively supplementing the evidence, an investigator from the UBOK anti-corruption unit of the Police Corps Presidium has initiated criminal proceedings in the case on suspicion of the offence of abuse of public office," stated the Police Corps HQ. Given the stage of the preliminary proceedings and their confidential nature, the police won't provide further details on the matter. The tender for operating the ambulances was launched by the emergency service's operations centre in May 2025. It was criticised for a lack of transparency by the opposition and part of the coalition. The operations centre cancelled the tender in August. In November, Prosecutor-General Maros Zilinka said that the ministry had acted in breach of the law, and he filed prosecutorial protests. The ministry didn't comply, prompting Zilinka to file 32 administrative lawsuits. The ministry maintains that the ambulance tender was scrapped lawfully and that subsequent decisions to halt proceedings were also in line with the law. It says that it is ready to defend its legal position in an administrative court. The police said in February that the anti-corruption unit of the Office for Combating Organised Crime was dealing with several criminal complaints related to the ambulance tender. am/df