Nation's Memory Institute (UPN) Board of Directors Chairman Ondrej Krajňák doesn't intend to give up his post even though he feels that certain board members have been trying to get rid of him for a long time, according to the TASR press agency. The institute is the agency in charge with researching Slovakia's totalitarian past. Earlier on Monday, most members of the UPN Board of Directors identified themselves with the statement of the supervisory board - UPN's supreme controlling body - in which it criticised Krajňák for several things. For example, it reprimands the chairman for issuing a code of ethics and internal regulations that would interfere with private lives and personal integrity without the consent of the board. Concerning this issue, the supervisory board has already submitted its stance to the parliamentary human rights committee. Krajňák is also criticised for handling the institute's financial resources, shady public procurement processes, the illegal hiring of employees, expressing support for a political party before the 2016 general election as well as for his tense relations with certain employees.
The Chairman insists that his institute has been carrying out public procurement processes in line with valid regulations. Regarding the accusation concerning his alleged financial mismanagement, Krajňák said that these allegations might have emerged following his hiring of a new law firm. "Its selection was carried out via market research and in accordance with the law," said Krajňák, adding that the UPN would need two or three lawyers for the number of cases that the institution deals with. However, the UPN doesn't have any. The average monthly bonuses for the newly hired law firm is €3,240 for the entire period. Before, these services were carried out by a lawyer that was around €1,000 cheaper (than the current law firm), but UPN lost at least 16 cases in a row in court," explained Krajňák, adding that the accusations are irrelevant. The UPN's Board of Directors session earlier in the day took place behind closed doors, as agreed by the majority, whereas Krajňák wanted a public session.
