Interior Ministry: Criminal Investigation Launched Over €46Mn Fire Engine Deal

Bratislava, 7 September (TASR) - The Interior Ministry registers the opening of criminal proceedings over the procurement, delivery and commissioning of new firefighting equipment, the ministry press department stated in response to media reports alleging that a fire engine has been seized and sealed with respect to a €46 million contract. The ministry declared its readiness to provide full cooperation to law enforcement authorities. The ministry said the tender had been initiated before the current leadership took office by former interior minister (2020-23) Roman Mikulec ('Slovakia') and was subsequently launched by former caretaker prime minister Ludovit Odor (then independent, currently Progressive Slovakia). "The previous leadership set it up so that the decisive criterion was the lowest price, meaning financial considerations took precedence over the quality parameters of the bid. No bidder was excluded by the ministry and the cheapest bid was selected," the ministry's press department said. It noted that the contract had been reviewed by the Public Procurement Office and had also been subject to checks because EU funds were used for the purchase. "No inspection found any breach and the ministry did not receive any financial corrections for violating procurement rules," it claimed. The ministry reiterated that the current leadership had merely taken over the process once it was already under way and had continued with it because of the urgent need to replace outdated equipment used by the Firefighter and Rescue Corps (HaZZ). "HaZZ has stated that it stands by the fact that it followed the rules when procuring, accepting and deploying the equipment and is prepared to explain the entire process in detail to both the investigator and the prosecutor. The ministry will provide full cooperation to law enforcement authorities," the press department stated, adding that it won't comment further at this stage or prejudge the outcome of the investigation. Earlier in the day, the Daily N reported that a new fire engine purchased under the €46 million state contract has been seized and sealed in Bratislava. It pointed to several suspicions with respect to the case. The seizure was also highlighted by the non-parliamentary Democrats, who said the situation required a proper and independent investigation. mf