UVO Imposes Two Fines Totalling €1.7 million on Defence Ministry

Bratislava, 21 July (TASR) - The Public Procurement Office (UVO) has imposed two non-final fines totalling some €1.7 million on the Defence Ministry, UVO spokesperson Simona Brejova has told TASR, adding that the fines concern the purchase of two luxury Bombardier aircraft. This is not one aggregate fine of such amount, but two separately imposed penalties: one amounting to €873,795.52, and the other to €857,965.56, specified UVO, adding that both decisions were issued on 16 April. "I would like to stress, however, that the decisions are not yet final, as the inspected party has filed an appeal against them," said Brejova. The Jan Kuciak Investigative Centre brought the attention to the case, claiming that the Defence Ministry violated the law on public procurement when purchasing two Bombardier aircraft for tens of millions of euros. UVO came to the same conclusion and imposed fines on the ministry. The inspection questioned the ministry's arguments about an exemption from the public procurement rules. ko