INDEPENDENT MP Miroslav Beblavý has pointed to the dubious exchange of the head of the Agency for EU Structural Funds (ASFEU) that runs at the Education Ministry, which took place in late August.
At the time, Education Minister Peter Pellegrini dismissed Marián Kostolány from the post, saying he was not satisfied with his management of the agency and the insufficient drawing of money from EU funds. He replaced him with Róbert Škripko, the SITA newswire wrote.
“Róbert Škripko was leading the office of the general director of the ASFEU before becoming the general director of the ASFEU,” Beblavý said, as quoted by the TASR newswire. “Marián Kostolányi, after being dismissed from the post of general director, became head of the office of the general director of ASFEU. Both men only switched jobs in the management of the ASFEU.”
He added that until recently the head of the office of the general director of the ASFEU was responsible for the heads of two sections of the agency: the section for the implementation of the Operational Programme Education and the section for the implementation of the Operational Programme Research and Development.
“Škripko was directly responsible for implementation of both operational programmes,” Beblavý said, as quoted by TASR. “This means that the ASFEU is currently led by the person who was jointly responsible for its current operation.”
Education Ministry spokesperson Beáta Dupaľová Ksenzsighová said that at the time Kostolányi was dismissed from the post, the situation was serious and it was necessary to deal with it as quick as possible. She stressed that both men are serving in their posts temporarily and that the ministry will soon announce new selection procedures.
“According to our information, Mr Škripko kept Mr Kostolányi in the office because of the continuity of the agenda and fulfilling the urgent work tasks,” Dupaľová Ksenzsighová told TASR.
She added that the ministry has announced changes in the organisational structures, which may affect also the agency.
“Since we plan the reorganisation of our organisations and the new research agency should be established, it is possible that the ASFEU will cease to exist,” Dupaľová Ksenzsighová said.
Source: TASR, SITA
Compiled by Radka Minarechová from press reports
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