On January 12, the website of the Sme daily quoted the Plus jeden deň daily that wrote that the unknown US company, Interblue Group, that signed a contract with Slovakia for the purchase of excess carbon dioxide emission quotas no longer exists.
Critics claim the contract cost Slovakia at least €75 million and the Slovak Environment Ministry says it keeps negotiating with Interblue even though its corporate registration was apparently cancelled as early as December 29, 2009. It is currently registered as non-active, which means that it cannot conclude legal contracts and take legal steps.
The Slovak government believes that the Interblue Group owes the country €15 million based on a contract provision stating that this amount of money would be refunded back to Slovakia if the state used the cash paid for the emissions quotas for environmental purposes.
The statutory representative of the company, Jana Lütken, who lives in Switzerland and who signed the contract did not comment on the situation. She was not in her office and she did not answer the daily’s questions. The ministry’s spokesperson, Jana Kaplanová, said that the state is doing everything possible to optimise the situation – in compliance with the contract and with Slovak laws. She refused to comment on the daily’s findings. Sme
Compiled by Zuzana Vilikovská from press reports
The Slovak Spectator cannot vouch for the accuracy of the information presented in its Flash News postings.
