Head of state-owned health insurer allegedly concluded contracts with his aunt

HEAD OF the state-owned and biggest health insurer in Slovakia, Všeobecná Zdravotná Poisťovňa (VšZP), Marcel Forai, should lose his chair, MP and deputy chairman of Sieť party Miroslav Beblavý opined, as widely quoted by Slovak media.

Marcel ForaiMarcel Forai (Source: Sme)

Forai is alleged to have concluded contracts worth €14 million with six companies in which his aunt, Anna Sučková (aged 77), is active in one way or another, the Sme daily wrote on September 19. Allegedly 69 contracts exist.

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As a reaction, Forai called on Beblavý on September 21 to prove his claims, as otherwise – if Beblavý fails to do so within 48 hours – the general manager of VšZP will file a criminal complaint for libel, the TASR newswire quoted him as having said. Forai insists that the health insurer had signed contracts with his aunt long before he became its head, and these are standard contracts concerning health care – not put at advantage compared to other contracts, as Beblavý hinted. The former also states the number of contracts at six, not 69, and adds that not one is active. Forai admits, according to TASR, he had signed addendums to the contracts, but does not feel in conflict of interest.      

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The VšZP head stressed that all contracts can be found on the internet and checked, and so his conscience is clear.

Beblavý filed a motion with the parliamentary committee for conflicts of functions and wants it to launch a proceeding for the suspicion of abuse of position and violation of the constitutional law on protection of public interest. If the suspicion proves to be true, Forai could see not just a fine of € 67,000, but also lose his job – as he had already received a sentence for an incomplete property return/declaration that did not include his flat in the River Park development site in Bratislava, TASR wrote.

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