Slovak Defence Ministry paid for training, but can’t find proof it took place

The Defence Ministry signed contracts for lectures and consulting services between 2007 and 2010 that were worth more than Sk1 million (€33,000), but there is no proof that the services were in fact delivered, Defence Ministry spokesman Richard Šümeghy said on Tuesday, August 24.

The Defence Ministry signed contracts for lectures and consulting services between 2007 and 2010 that were worth more than Sk1 million (€33,000), but there is no proof that the services were in fact delivered, Defence Ministry spokesman Richard Šümeghy said on Tuesday, August 24.

The so-called media training courses were provided by Ľubica Mižičková. “There are no documents at the ministry that would show to whom the training courses were provided,” said Šümeghy, adding that it may have been the minister, office director and spokesman.

“The ministry has no information that training was provided to section directors and the state secretary. The only obvious thing is that former minister Jaroslav Baška [a nominee of the Smer party] attended a media training course,” said Šümeghy.

“It wasn’t only media training, it was also education in the minister’s office, with the spokesman and other section chiefs ... I can send you all the documentation if you want,” Mižičková told the TASR newswire.

According to Šümeghy, the contract was signed for 300 hours per year between 2007 and 2009, with the hourly rate agreed at Sk1,080 (approx. €36). “It's interesting that the ministry paid out the same amount for the same number of hours each year,” said the spokesman, adding that current minister Ľubomír Galko (a nominee of the Freedom and Solidarity (SaS) party) has also attended several media training courses, but all were provided by ministry employees.

Source: TASR

Compiled by Zuzana Vilikovská from press reports
The Slovak Spectator cannot vouch for the accuracy of the information presented in its Flash News postings.

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