The Slovak Finance Ministry will formally ask Eurogroup to reappraise the nomination of former head of the National Property Fund (FNM) Anna Bubeníková, who has recently been appointed a member of an EC committee to help Greece privatise property in order to retire its mountain of debt.
The reasons for calling Bubeníková off stem from doubts over the ethics of the nomination, since she - facing allegations of corruption and cronyism since the Gorilla scandal surfaced - was dismissed by the former government in January 2012. The Finance Ministry conceded earlier that it is not within its authority to influence Bubenikova's membership in the council directly, the TASR newswire wrote. However, it plans to make sure these facts concerning her background are known to the European Commission in Brussels. The appointment was in the works prior to the Gorilla scandal and her subsequent dismissal. Bubeníková was obligated to step down from her National Property Fund-FNM post in January of this year after her name appeared prominently in the Gorilla files, which revealed alleged corruption involving senior politicians and the Penta financial group.
The fact that Bubeníková had become a member of a council of experts at the Greek development fund surfaced only last week after being reported by TV Markíza. She was nominated to the panel by former finance minister Ivan Mikloš (Slovak Democratic and Christian Union-SDKÚ) in July 2011. According to the Finance Ministry, the nomination was secured via Martin Bruncko, then Slovakia's representative serving in the Eurogroup's working group, and was subsequently approved by the economic and financial committee.
The Finance Ministry lacks any powers whatsoever vis-a-vis Bubeníková’s sitting on the committee, according to a statement released by the ministry's press department on Monday, August 6. "Only the European Commission can act," said the ministry.
Answers to questions as to whether or not and, if so, how the EC will act were sought by Ordinary People and Independent Personalities (OĽaNO) MP Alojz Hlina at the Commission's Representation in Bratislava. He is also set to meet the Greek Ambassador to Slovakia, Nicolaos Kanellos, on Tuesday. Hlina said that it is in Greece's interests to have Bubeníková replaced.
(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.
