AUSTRIAN Airlines has succeeded in quietly taking over Slovak Airlines, the state-owned Slovak carrier, according to the daily SME.
The Slovak Transport Ministry gave the go-ahead for the sale of more than 61 percent of Slovak Airlines' shares to the Austrians.
The news came to light when the Slovak Anti-Trust Office announced to journalists that it was starting an investigation into the sale.
Apparently the Economy Ministry, which is the ministry responsible for the privatization, only learned about the deal from journalists.
Transparency International Slovakia does not regard the transaction as transparent. According to spokesperson Emilia Sičáková–Beblavá, "choosing the investor should have been done in an open way, so that other firms would have had the chance to show their interest."
Compiled by Magdalena MacLeod from press reports
TheSlovak Spectator cannot vouch for the accuracy of the informationpresented in its Flash News postings.
