Could controversial businessman Marián Kočner corrupt high ranking officials at the tax office? This is a question that Slovaks asked themselves after the Dennik N daily reported on an audio recording from 2015, found by police in one of Kočner's mobile phones, in which the businessman now charged with ordering the murder of journalist Ján Kuciak last year, as well as various economic crimes, discussed with IT entrepreneur Michal Suchoba how to bribe tax inspectors. Suchoba, whose company had business contracts at the Financial Administration - which is the tax and customs authority in Slovakia - asked for money from Kočner to ensure that tax inspectors would be lenient with the latter. Kočner responded that he'd already arranged everything with then Prime Minister Robert Fico. In his reaction to Dennik N's report Suchoba said he had no recollection of such a discussion.
The aktuality.sk website reported that Michal Suchoba has close contacts with former head of the Financial Administration František Imrecze. His company Allexis obtained controversial contracts worth millions of euro from the Financial Administration, which are now being investigated by the Public Procurement Office. Imrecze denies any close links to Suchoba saying that they only played golf together when both worked in the private sector.
The Financial Administration has denied that any external entities had an influence on its inspections. "We distance ourselves from the course of action mentioned in the recording and we're ready to co-operate as far as necessary with the law-enforcement authorities in investigating the issue," said Financial Administration spokesperson Ivana Skokanová later on Monday. She added that tax inspectors were not lenient with Marián Kočner's approximately 30 companies, carrying out a total of 71 inspections there altogether.
Meanwhile a spokesperson for Smer-SD, the largest party of the governing coalition, has labelled as "pub talk" media reports on an alleged audio recording in which businessman Marián Kočner says he had already arranged his being protected from tax inspections with then prime minister Robert Fico (Smer-SD).
Opposition MP Veronika Remišova (Za ludi) has criticised the Financial Administration for ordering IT systems from Suchoba, calling him a person involved in corruption. She added that state bodies should terminate their co-operation with him, and check whether his company's products present a security risk.
