Shortly after taking his post, Defence Minister Juraj Liška has cancelled a Sk10 billion (€244.68 million) tender for the tactical-operational communication system TOKOS, the daily SME reported.
However, Liška's arguments for cancelling the tender have been contradictory. On November 24, he claimed that the tender was transparent and fair, but the army is changing its concept; yet, the next day, he questioned the transparency of the tender. Liška claims that the ministry does not need TOKOS yet.
Responding to the information that some Israeli firms could have been the subcontractors for the winner of the TOKOS tender, Liška said that the journalists know more than he does. He asked the SME journalists about their sources. Liška claims that neither the ministry nor he knows anything about the subcontractors.
Liška will announce a new tender for TOKOS. Several deputies disapproved the minister's decision to cancel the tender approved by former Defence Minister Ivan Šimko.
Compiled by Beata Balogová from press reports
The Slovak Spectator cannot vouch for the accuracy of the information presented in its Flash News postings.
26. Nov 2003 at 10:49