Archive of articles - May 2013, page 6
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Parliamentary committee refuses to hear from purported author of VSS report
The purported author of the report pointing to alleged embezzlement of public funds at the former Military Intelligence Service (VSS) was not allowed to confirm the veracity of the document in front of MPs on the defence and security committee. The committee declined to hear from Vladimír Suchodolinský, who describes himself as the author of the report, after Defence Minister Martin Glváč failed to release him from his oath of secrecy, the Sme daily reported on May 22. Glváč said he was seeking a way to do this.
VW agrees pay deal with trade unions
Bratislava-based carmaker Volkswagen Slovakia has agreed to pay bonuses to its employees based on economic results achieved in 2012. Every employee will receive a bonus of €1,350, according to the deal struck between the company’s management and trade unions. Moreover, VW staff will get a fixed pre-payment averaging €200 for 2013 results in October, the TASR newswire reported on May 21.
Alleged author of VSS report steps forward, ready to discuss events
The author of a report concerning alleged fraud at the Military Intelligence Service (VSS) during the first government of Robert Fico is allegedly a retired colonel and the former deputy head of the VSS in 2011 and 2012, Vladimír Suchodolinský. On Tuesday, May 21, he addressed the media and admitted he had written the report, adding that he also wanted to discuss events at the VSS with the parliament’s Special Control Committee to investigate the activities of the merged Military Intelligence, but that so far he has not had the chance.
Sme: Urbancová elected vice-chair of Supreme Court
The Judicial Council has elected Jarmila Urbancová as vice-chair of the Supreme Court, filling a seat which had been vacant for nearly three years. The Sme daily wrote on its website on May 21 that she received votes from 14 of the 17 justices, while her rival Peter Paluda received only two votes.
Opposition files motion contesting amendment to law on Constitutional Court
In the early afternoon on Tuesday, May 21, a group of opposition MPs delivered a motion in response to parliament’s passing in a fast-tracked proceeding the draft amendment to the law on the organisation of the Slovak Constitutional Court.
U.S. Steel in Slovakia back in the black
The Slovak plant of the U. S. Steel group, U.S. Steel Košice, closed last year with a net profit of €27.66 million. The company ended 2011 inthe red when its losses climbed to €24.77 million, the SITA newswire wrote.According to U.S. Steel Košice’s annual report, sales of the company dropped from €2.605 billion in 2011 to almost €2.48 billion last year.
Fedor urges minister Glváč to attend special session of parliamentary committee
Chairman of the parliamentary committee for the supervision of military intelligence Martin Fedor, of the opposition Slovak Democratic and Christian Union (SDKÚ), on Monday, May 20, urged Defence Minister Martin Glváč and head of Military Intelligence (VS) Ľubomír Skuhra to attend a special meeting of the committee set for Tuesday, May 21.
Attempt to steal €1 billion from Slovak bank thwarted
The National Crime Agency (NAKA) has arrested a German national described only as Štefan S., who attempted to steal a record-breaking €1 billion from the accounts of a bank in Bratislava, Police Corps spokesperson Andrea Dobiášová told the TASR newswire on Monday, May 20. If the German had succeeded, it would have been the biggest theft in Slovakia over the past decade, she said.
Richter: Unemployment in Slovakia was 14.41 percent in April
The unemployment rate in Slovakia reached 14.41 percent in April, going down by 0.27 percentage points month-on-month, announced Labour Minister Ján Richter at a press conference on Monday, May 20. The number of job applicants ready to start work immediately stood at 388,948, which represents a drop of 7,304 in monthly terms.
MVK poll: NOVA in parliament, both SDKÚ and SaS out, Smer leads
If a general election had taken place in mid-May, neither of the opposition Slovak Democratic and Christian Union (SDKÚ) and Freedom and Solidarity (SaS) would have received enough votes to enter parliament, according to the latest MVK agency poll released on Monday, May 20.
The sixth year of the Run for Life is in full swing. Run with us!
Get engaged in the Tesco Foundation’s Run for Life sports-charity event. Do something for your health while contributing to cancer research. The Run for Life series has began on May 4, 2013 and it will visit Prešov (on May 18), Nitra (May 25), Žilina (June 8) and Trenčín (May 15). Participants of the event can enjoy a rich accompanying programme, snacks and medals after they finish.
Gašparovič signs into law changes to Constitutional Court rules that will directly affect his own case
The original senate appointed to decide on the objection by general prosecutor-elect Jozef Čentéš to his formal rejection by President Ivan Gašparovič will be able to rule on the case despite two of its three judges being excluded on grounds of bias, following President Gašparovič’s decision on May 20 to sign into law a change to the Constitutional Court’s rules of procedure, the SITA newswire reported.
Expansion abroad necessary for Slovak start-ups, poll shows
Two thirds of young businesspeople consider expansion abroad as inevitable for making their start-up projects profitable, according to the preliminary results of a poll carried out by the Young Entrepreneurs Association of Slovakia (ZMPS), which is being conducted in May and June 2013. The aim of the poll is to learn about the barriers and motivations of Slovak start-ups who want to do business on foreign markets, the TASR newswire reported on May 17.
Defence Minister Glváč sees no reason to dismiss VS head Skuhra
Defence Minister Martin Glváč will not step down even if serious allegations of tunnelling at the erstwhile Military Intelligence Service (VSS) and Military Defence Intelligence (VOS), flagged by the Sme daily, prove to be true, the TASR newswire reported on May 17.
People’s Platform officially nominates Žilinka for NKÚ post
The opposition parties united in the People’s Platform officially introduced former state secretary of the Interior Ministry Maroš Žilinka as their candidate for the head of the Supreme Audit Office (NKÚ). He will probably be the last candidate whom the opposition will select for the post, and they are ready to withdraw the nomination if the vote in parliament is conducted in a secret-ballot, representatives of People’s Platform, i.e. the Slovak Democratic and Christian Union (SDKÚ), Christian Democratic Movement (KDH) and Most-Híd, said at a press conference held on May 19.
Reporting extended stays abroad benefits citizens, Kaliňák says
The obligation to report stays abroad exceeding 90 days is a benefit for citizens, according to Interior Minister Robert Kaliňák, who said so during the political talk show O 5 Minút 12, broadcast by the public-service Slovak Television (STV). The minister stressed that if the ministry knows the whereabouts of citizens and legal residents, it will be able to inform them about possible seizures of their property, inheritance or other important, official matters.
Institutions and organisations in the banking and leasing sectors
Ministry of Finance, www.finance.gov.sk
Model of wooden church to commemorate village’s religious past
THE HISTORY of religious life in Kružľová, a village in eastern Slovakia, will be commemorated by a model of a long-since demolished local wooden church. Wooden churches are typical of folk architecture in Slovakia, especially in the east. Locals believe that if the Kružľová wooden church were preserved, it could make it onto UNESCO’s World Heritage List.
People’s Platform offers NKÚ choice
FORMER Interior Ministry state secretary Maroš Žilinka, now a prosecutor at the Special Prosecutor’s Office, will become the candidate of the opposition People’s Platform - which includes the Christian Democratic Movement (KDH), the Slovak Democratic and Christian Union (SDKÚ) and Most-Híd - to head the Supreme Audit Office (NKÚ), the TASR newswire reported, citing Most-Híd caucus leader László Solymos on May 14. The platform will however only propose Žilinka’s candidacy on the condition that the election of the NKÚ chairmen in parliament is conducted openly (i.e. recorded) instead of in a secret ballot, Solymos added.
Changes will also affect the disabled
THE AMENDMENT to the law on employment services, which became valid on May 1, includes changes that could markedly affect workplaces for disabled people which enjoy the support of the state. The revised legislation reduces the level of support which goes towards establishment of such sheltered workplaces, meaning that in practice they can apply for support but are not guaranteed to receive a subsidy.
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