Potential fraud to be investigated by special committee

An extraordinary session of the Parliamentary Finance and Budget Committee is set to discuss the excessive VAT allowances granted to businessman Ladislav Bašternák, TASR learnt on Tuesday. Jozef Rajtár (SaS) submitted the proposal signed by Opposition legislators to convene such an extraordinary session to Parliament on Tuesday. He's demanding Finance Minister Peter Kažimír and Financial Directorate chairman Frantisek Imrecze explain the whole situation. Committee chairman Ladislav Kamenický (Smer-SD) is obliged to summon the session within seven days given that the proposal has the signatures of 30 MPs. Members of the liberal party SaS reported last week that Bašternák's company (BL-202), aside from applying for €2 million worth of VAT allowances for the Five Star Residence apartment complex, also applied for another almost €6 million in 2012. "This company must have bought property worth tens of millions of euro. Nonetheless, despite having so much property, the company was inactive the following year", said Rajtár, questioning why this didn't appear suspicious to the Financial Directorate. The Financial Directorate spokesperson Patricia Patrícia Macíková responded, saying, "The Financial Directorate acts thoroughly and in line with legislation in every tax case. Nevertheless, we can't provide any specific information here due to tax secrecy. Financial Directorate President Frantisek Imrecze has already requested to be provided scope for presenting a report before Parliament's Finance and Budgetary Committee".