NDS sewed a tender for buying cars to a particular brand

The author works at the Stop the Corruption Foundation.

The National Highway Company (NDS) bought cars for summer and winter road maintenance at the turn of the year. She earmarked EUR 33 million to 50 machines, and she will pay three million more.

There was little interest in the seemingly attractive competition. Only two companies applied and the motorists also excluded them with a lower price. Other candidates discouraged very specific conditions as if tailor -made vehicles.

The contract for almost EUR 36 million excluding VAT was the Slovak distributor of Mercedes-Benz, MB Servis. Its representatives have close contacts with the father of the current NDS chief Filip Macháček.

(Source: josephine.proebis.com)

Sliding steering wheel and passenger swivel seat

The NDS, according to the tender conditions, demanded, among other things, « a two -seat cabin control cabin with the possibility of controlling all the functions of the vehicle from the left and right side from the driver’s and passenger position ».

Information from several Slovak maintenance car suppliers shows that this function only has Mercedes-Benz cars. This manufacturer has a sliding control registered under the Variopilot protective mark.

(Source: Mercedes-Benz-trucks.com)

Mercedes-Benz vehicles are probably the only one to meet all the technical requirements of the NDS, including the engine power (at least 250 kW), the speed-free speed, the wheelbase or the passenger seat at least 100 degrees to the right side of the vehicle.

According to suppliers who did not participate in the competition, these functionality is not necessary for vehicles for vehicles providing winter and summer road maintenance.

NDS also highlighted the limiting conditions during the competition. She refused their note, explaining that « she considered it unsubstantiated and thus irrelevant », and in determining the preliminary value of the contract apparently received from the applicants several offers that its parameters met.

(Source: josephine.proebis.com)

Very concrete conditions are also mentioned in additional devices, such as a plow.

Specifically set technical demands can be discriminatory, limiting competition and illegal. The Stop Corruption Foundation therefore turned to the Office for the Office for Public procurement (ÚVO).

Father of the NDS boss is a supplier’s personal friend

Miroslav Benka and his father, also Miroslav Benka, is owned by the winning company of MB Servis, is a manager in the company. They have long -term personal contacts at Ľubomír Macháček, who is the father of the current head of NDS Filip Macháček.

However, MB service rejects a possible illicit conflict of interest. « I know Mr. Filip Macháček as NDS CEO. In the past, in the horizon 10-15 years, I had the opportunity to meet him as the son of Ing. Ľudovít Macháček.

He added that he met Ľudovít Macháček in 2003 as his then direct supervisor in the Slovak Road Administration (SSC). Benka worked there as the director of one of the branches in the Trnava district.

« We met work and later privately at various sports activities such as bike, skis. Since about 2021, our contacts have been interrupted and have not been renewed so far, » says Benka.

From the right: The father of the current NDS chief and at the same time former NDS Director Ľudovít Macháček next to Miroslav Benk, Managing Director of MB Servis. (Source: Stop Corruption Foundation)

Ľudovít Macháček himself worked in the leadership of the NDS, from 2005 to 2010, most recently as Vice -Chairman of the Board of Directors. It was at the time of the first government Robert Fico (Direction) during which the Prime Minister promised a motorway interconnection Košice with the capital. Macháček’s son Filip has been leading NDS since the arrival of the current fourth Fico government.

(Source: Orsr.sk)

On the margo of the possible influence of personal contacts on the Macháčkovcov manager MB Servis said it was « absolutely irrelevant ». According to him, Ľudovít Macháček was « always a direct person and never allowed to associate personal and working relationships, and not at all in such a spirit that it has an impact on anything working ».

NDS did not respond directly to questions about the contacts of both families and their possible impact on the contract.

« The renovation of the fleet is in place of compliance with legal obligations and in compliance with maximum economy and efficiency. It uses its long -term experience in the use of the fleet and the process is provided by highly qualified specialists to ensure the acquisition.

For the sake of completeness, it should be added that MB service is unknown on the highways. Both Matovičová and Pellegrini’s government supplied the National Millions of EUR for millions of euros for the collection and collection of waste and won other smaller tenders.

NDS competitions with accessories for winter and summer road maintenance. (Source: AEBI SCHMIDT GROUP)

Shopping during the holidays

Last time, motorists purchased machines for summer and winter maintenance in 2018. Even then, the contract was awarded to MB Servis. However, it was lower in order.

The NDS expected the purchase price of EUR 5.5 million. The winner offered almost EUR 5.9 million excluding VAT, and compared to the second candidate it was cheaper only less than 12,000 euros.

(source: uvo.Gov.sk, minutes of opening offers 3/2018)

NDS then bought eight carriers. Much larger topical the purchase of the purchase 50 machines were explained by the state -owned company by « providing year -round maintenance at 1200 km of motorways, expressways, first -class roads, with tunnels, bridges, rest, intersections and other roads of the road network ».

In addition, in the procurement of technology, motorways, according to their own words, considered newly opened sections: “This year will be added to the NDS administration often for maintenance of extremely demanding sections. For example, the elevation of Kriváň – Mýtna, and the delivery of new machines takes a long period. ”

NDS from MB service purchased new carriers during the 2014 competition.

For the very specific conditions of the competition, which seem to be tailored to specific cars, as well as for the family connection of the NDS management to the supplier, the Foundation shall file a motion for investigating the legality of the contractual procurement contracts.