Slovak News Back to the news
Lipsic Calls Kalinak a Coward as War of Words Heads Up
Sunday 17 January 2010 Zoom in | Print page
Bratislava, January 17 (TASR) - Christian Democrats (KDH) Vice-chairman, MP and former justice minister Daniel Lipsic called Interior Minister Robert Kalinak a 'coward' on Sunday, adding that it is not a good calling card for an interior minister.
Lipsic, speaking Sunday at party headquarters, said that Kalinak has not done a lot in three and half years as minister. However, Lipsic conceded that Kalinak does keep himself busy cutting ribbons and attending Government discussions.
According to Lipsic, Kalinak tends to hide from problems, to escape. Lipsic cited the recent case involving police-planted explosives that flew from Poprad to Dublin in the bag of an unsuspecting passenger (who was subsequently arrested).
Lipsic said that he had no personal knowledge about the contract with Bratislava-based company VYKO – as Kalinak had told reporters earlier in the day. Lipsic had indicated that VYKO is a two-person 'garage firm' close to KDH that was on contract with the ministry for clean-up work.
The parry and thrust continued, with Kalinak responding that VYKO was signed in 2005 to clean up the ministry at a fee 20 percent above that of the firm that won the tender.
KDH deputy chairman Lipsic, however, claims that the electric installation work as well as guard services in Zilina are double the price they should be. Lipsic added that the firm which won the contract does not have security clearance, which is highly suspicious. "How can it be that the firm supposedly ensuring building management for the ministry does not need security clearance?" he pondered.
Lipsic expressed his suspicion that the tender competition was tailor-made for ISS Facility Service, of Bratislava, the winner of the international tender to manage 1,600 ministry buildings. The contract includes many services such as construction and carpentry work, servicing and repair of electricity back-up or firefighting equipment.
All rights reserved. Any publishing or further dissemination of press releases and photographs from TASR's resources without TASR's prior written approval constitutes a violation of the Copyrights Act.
