No reason to dismiss economy minister, says prime minister

There's no reason at the moment to dismiss Economy Minister Pavol Pavlis, Prime Minister Robert Fico said after the Government session on Wednesday. It was the Opposition that on Tuesday (January 27) drew attention to Pavlis' alleged conflict of interest in the lawsuit filed by a company called Port Service against the National Property Fund (FNM) that could cost the state €60 million. "I have information that any contacts or connections of the Economy Minister with the company in question have ceased since 2006. That means that he's been completely disassociated from this firm for nine years and has no affiliation with it whatsoever in terms of ownership or otherwise", stressed Fico. The Premier pointed out that the privatisation of the Shipping and Ports/Plavby a Pristavy (was won by financial group Penta under the government of Mikuláš Dzurinda (2002-06). "Are we supposed to oust the Economy Minister over a Penta privatisation organised by the cabinet of Mikuláš Dzurinda, only because some firm that the Economy Minister has nothing to do with is pursuing its rights at court? I, for one, hold that this lacks elementary logic", said Fico. "Therefore, I see no reason to take action. If some circumstances emerge that would discredit the Economy Minister at his post today, I will act. For the moment, however, I possess no such information", claimed the Prime Minister. The Opposition pointed out that Port Service - a company where Pavlis used to be the chairman of the Board of Directors - filed a lawsuit against FNM only five days before Pavlis became a member on FNM's Supervisory Board. Port Services sought compensation for being expelled from privatisation tender due to its failure to meet requirements. In this legal battle, it even received a loan of Sk600,000 (€20,000) from FNM under Pavlis' tenure on the Supervisory Board so that it could pay the legal fees necessary to file an appeal with the Supreme Court in the wake of losing the case at the Bratislava Regional Court. In 2008, the company lost the lawsuit against the state, yet after an appeal from Prosecutor-General Dobroslav Trnka, the senate entitled it to claims for lost profits worth €60 million and the case has been returned to lower-level courts.