The supervisory board of Slovenska Poistovna, Slovak's largest insurance company, did not sack Karol Melocík, president of the SP board of directors at its session on November 25.
Jaroslava Zdravecká, secretary to the president of the National Property Fund (FNM) privatisation agency, said that five members of eight present supervisory board members voted for Melocík's ouster, which was less than the required quorum necessary for pushing this proposal through.
Finance Minister Brigita Schmognerová said on November 23 that an inspection at Slovenská Poisťovňa had found serious legal violations. The Finance Ministry requested the FNM to initiate a shareholders' meeting and simultaneously banned property transfers within the insurer beyond regular business operations. The SP board of directors maintained that the Finance Ministry has overstepped its powers.
Karol Melocík replaced Edita Bukovská at the post of the SP president on June 15, 1998. Melocík has worked, aside from VÚB Invest Holding, also on supervisory boards of the SP. During the second Mečiar Cabinet, he worked at the Slovak Cabinet Office as the head of the Department for Supervision of the State Administration and Complaints. Between June and December 1992, Melocík held a seat in Parliament of the then Czechoslovak Federal Republic (CSFR) for the HZDS.
Shortly before the September parliamentary elections a group of companies close to steel-maker VSŽ Holding attempted to gain control of the insurance company via an increase in SP's share assets. This step was heavily criticised and was labeled a de facto privatization of SP, which is blocked by law until the end of the year 2003.
