THE OFFICE for the Fight Against Corruption, a branch of the Slovak police force, has formally charged four employees of the Police Academy in Bratislava with criminal offences. Three people are accused of damaging the financial interests of the European Community, while the fourth suspect is charged with manipulating a public procurement process, the TASR newswire reported.
The money from EU structural funds was supposed to be used for education, but the academy instead used it to purchase equipment including kitchen units, air conditioners and other items. The total loss to the European budget was €26,000, police spokesperson Andrea Dobiášová told TASR.
The second case, which pertains to a public procurement process during which the accused man agreed to a deal with a bidder who had been picked in advance, resulted in a loss of €46,000, the police allege.
If found guilty, the four – identified as Igor Sch., Ladislav M., Renáta L. and Michal N. – could face up to eight years in prison, Dobiášová told TASR.
