Former health minister Vladimír Lengvarský. (source: TASR - Jaroslav Novák)
The European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) has launched a criminal investigation into alleged corruption involving millions of euros from the EU Recovery Plan. The money was allocated to hospital repairs and construction in Slovakia. Hospitals were reportedly asked to pay a 10-percent bribe in order to win funding.
The call for applications for hospital funding, amounting to €212 million, was announced in November 2022 by then health minister Vladimír Lengvarský (OĽaNO). Eight selected hospitals were named in March 2023, just before Lengvarský left his position. It later emerged that the selection of Čadca hospital had violated competition rules.
According to the EPPO, an investigator has opened proceedings for serious offences, including mismanagement of public funds and bribery. The bribes, allegedly demanded by unidentified individuals from the Health Ministry between March 2022 and April 2023, amounted to 10 percent of the requested funds.
Hospitals that received funding include:
Bardejov (€9.7 million)
Poprad (€42.2 million)
Skalica (€22.6 million)
Levice (€42.4 million)
Zvolen (€25.7 million)
Spišská Nová Ves (€39.5 million)
Bojnice (€15.1 million)
The investigation file, which has been seen by the Sme daily, specifically mentions suspicions of bribery at Bojnice hospital, where individuals from the ministry allegedly received a bribe amounting to 10 percent of the project value. A witness suggested similar deals applied for private hospital networks owned by the Agel and Penta companies. The identity of the witness remains unknown, but a politician (also unnamed) reportedly confirmed having similar information.
All the implicated hospitals have denied any involvement in bribery. Peter Glatz, director of Bojnice hospital, strongly rejected the accusations. Agel and Penta also denied making illicit payments. Penta argued that since it leases Spišská Nová Ves hospital from Košice Region, it has no reason to pay bribes.
Further concerns surround a decision by ex-Health Minister Zuzana Dolinková (Hlas), who granted a Penta hospital an extended deadline for renovations, despite objections from her ministry’s legal department.
The Health Ministry refused to respond directly to journalists' questions, advising the Sme daily to contact law enforcement. The EPPO investigation continues.
