Archive of articles - November 2001, page 6

Presidential libel case to go on

Libeling the president is still a punishable crime after a motion to change the Criminal Code failed by one vote.The motion was a response to an ongoing case of Aleš Krátký, a political commentator with Nový Čas daily who is facing charges for an editorial he wrote six months ago critising President Rudolf Schuster. If found guilty he faces a two year prison sentence.Peter Galbavý, Slovak Democratic Union Member of Parliament (MP) said paragraph 103 of the Criminal Code should be abolished because it was: "An outdated communist paragraph, produced by totalitarian regime which prosecuted people for having a different opinion."

ST makes huge profit

Around Slovakia

Politicians attackedDrugs ring smashedMečiar marriage

Top Pick: Plastic People of the Universe open human rights film festival

"For people in normal countries art is a free matter. The Plastic People had to go to prison for their music. Nobody wants to go to prison and that's why I consider them heroes."Lou Reed

Love mails expose alleged US fund fraud

The US embassy is investigating allegations an employee defrauded a grant fund of Sk 400,000 ($8,000).The allegations were made after the female employee's husband discovered over 200 e-mails between her and the chief executive of Softip, a leading Slovak information systems company.The e-mails allegedly outline an affair between Monika A. and Daniel Dobrota, who is married with four children.

Slovnaft in hunt for Unipetrol

Letter to the Editor: Some come back again and again

Job creation stimulus passed

EC report shadowed by corruption concerns

Corruption is "widespread" in Slovakia and the government must take further steps to root it out, the European Commission has said.Commenting on an annual country report from the EC, European Commission Ambassador to Slovakia Walter Rochel urged Mikuláš Dzurinda's coalition to do more to deal with what was now a "serious concern"."Corruption is a serious source of concern for us. It seems to be widespread in many sectors and the government, while having taken some positive steps in dealing with this issue, must take more," he said.

Letter to the Editor: The "poor stepchild" is being badly served

Water treatment to cost state billions

The failure of the government to decentralise responsibility for water utilities is preventing the EU and private companies from investing in waste water treatment plants in Slovakia.To see significant investments in the water sector, EU representatives and investors say regional water utilities must be decentralised and ownership turned over to the municipal councils."With government ownership, it is difficult to manage sustainability of the projects in the long-run. It is important for us that the money is spent in the right way," said Hans van Vliet, desk officer for Slovakia at the General Directorate of the European Commission in Brussels.

Fleeing Afghan boy dies

Martin Kollár: The extraordinary behind the ordinary

Photographer Martin Kollár, 30, was travelling through Slovakia when he spotted a bonfire and crowd on a bare hill in the eastern town Spišská Nová Ves. He got out of his van, camera in hand, and approached the group, which was celebrating a national holiday.But Kollar didn't photograph them singing the Slovak national anthem or reciting poetry. He turned instead to a bunch of people who, with their heads lowered and feet rummaging through the grass, were searching for a lost necklace.

Creditors call for VZP bankruptcy

Moscow visit almost seals rich gas deal

A pipeline running gas from Russia to the West and crossing Slovakia will almost certainly be built, Economy Minister Ľubomír Harach has confirmed.The Jamal II pipeline, to be constructed by the Russian gas giant Gazprom, would see 60 billion cubic metres of gas pumped through Slovakia - a potential source of huge revenues in transport fees.The 90 billion cubic metres that already flow through Slovak gas distributor SPP's pipes every year - two-thirds of the gas imported into western Europe - have brought massive revenues to successive Slovak governments.

Consumers may be on bad end of lucrative sell-offs

The lucrative sell-offs in the energy sector may result in higher prices for consumers, the government has warned.Adverts for a tender for 49% state stakes in VSE, ZSE and SSE appeared in foreign and domestic media November 9.But Economy Ministry officials immediately warned new owners would be able to hike tariffs to a maximum level set by a new regulatory body - a maximum that could be much higher than at present.

Slovaks threatened with visa regime

Regulation for non-bank money houses

Letter to the Editor: Leader has lost his credibility