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Dzurinda: Fico Skins Hauliers Alive So Smer's Sponsors Can Line Pockets
Tuesday 02 February 2010 Zoom in | Print page
Bratislava, February 2 (TASR) - The Slovak Government "messed up" the electronic road-toll system so much that not only it doesn't work but the system robs the lorry drivers' families, said SDKU-DS Chairman Mikulas Dzurinda at a press conference on Tuesday.
"When Transport Minister (Lubomir) Vazny (Smer-SD) submitted the road-toll proposal, he said that it would cost Sk2 billion (€66 million). You know how much it actually came in at? Sk26 billion (€860 million)," emphasised Dzurinda. He considers this to be the reason why Slovakia hasn't tolled 200 km of first-class roads (as has the neighbourhing Czech Republic, which is almost twice the size) but 1,400 kilometres.
"Fico is going to skin the lorry drivers alive. And you know why? Because his sponsors lined their pockets; and now the missing money needs to be paid by someone else," said Dzurinda, adding that such an approach is unbelievably unscrupulous and uncaring.
Dzurinda also publicly asked Fico whether J&T company isn't involved behind the scenes of this tender. "Isn't this the same company whose J&T Bank lent money to Smer-SD in 2002? Who is it that actually won the overpriced and non-transparent tender for this road-toll?" asked Dzurinda, cautioning that road-toll provider SkyToll is owned by Ibertax company, which is widely rumoured to be linked to J&T, though J&T have denied it.
"Who's behind Ibertax, Mr. Prime Minister?" Dzurinda went on, insinuating that it's Havond Limited and Narenamo Limited, both based in Cyprus, as is J&T. "After Interblue Group, aren't these firms another set of garage companies with very young ladies for executives?" Dzurinda asked, alluding to the Interblue Europe representative that was sent to Zurich, Switzerland last month to negotiate with the Government. The four executives of the companies in question were born between 1979 and 1983. "One comes from Krompachy (Kosice region) and the remainder from Bratislava. Four chicks, Sk26-billion (€860 million)," said Dzurinda, calling on Fico to explain this.
Dzurinda also pointed out that a reputable company found its bid expelled from tender, while being "cynically told by Slovak Government it happened this way because of their unusually low price and unrealistically high efficiency of road-toll collection". By this course of action, Dzurinda said Robert Fico's Government robbed public of Sk6.6 billion/€212 million (the difference between the lowest bid and SkyToll's). "There's proof of this," emphasised Dzurinda, adding that this money went into the pockets of Smer-SD sponsors.
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