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Premier Refers to Law Enforcers for Questions over Emissions Deal
Thursday 25 March 2010 Zoom in | Print page
Bratislava, March 25 (TASR) - The issues surrounding the sale of carbon emissions rights, organised in 2007 by the environment minister for SNS, may only be clarified by law enforcers, who began probing the unfavourable-for-Slovakia deal last year, Premier Robert Fico said in reaction to the new facts recently brought by an ex-official of a U.S. company that bought the excess emission quotas.
Premier Fico's statement comes in response to fresh revelations made on Wednesday by Rastislav Bilas, the former project manager of Interblue Group, which bought the emissions from Slovakia under the Kyoto Protocol trading emission scheme at a price of €5.05 a ton - nearly half that quoted in similar deals in neighbouring countries (including the Czech Republic).
Bilas said Interblue Group, which sold its rights before it ceased to exist to Interblue Group Europe, had sold the emissions on to Japanese companies at €8 and described the deal with Slovakia as 'standard'. He admitted having known SNS leader Jan Slota for many years.
Slovakia sold 15.5 millions ton of emissions in 2008 under a contract allowing the firm to buy a further 35 million tonnes. However, the Government claims that the contract has been voided.
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