Opposition criticizes large procurement in at Defence Ministry

The Opposition Ordinary People party are criticizing the coalition for the steps taken in preparation for the purchase of armoured transporters totalling €1.2 billion, wrote SITA on Wednesday. The Defence Ministry has not published details regarding the purchase and as the Denník N daily wrote, there is a chance to avoid open competition in what is the largest procurement for army vehicles in Slovakia's history. MPs Richard Vašečka and Eduard Heger of the Ordinary People party call for transparency in the purchase. They suggested the creation of a committee made up of representatives from the armed forces, the Defence Ministry, coalition and opposition as well as independent experts. As of the end of September, the Defence Ministry plans to prepare a development plan for the armed forces, which should then be approved by the government. If all details regarding the purchase are published at the same time, everything will be alright, said Jaroslav Naď, an expert from the Slovak institute for security policy. He also added that not doing so would be a very bad decision.