The biggest pliaga of Slovak farmers? Corruption

The author works at the Stop Foundation Corruption

Foundation Let’s stop corruption last week revealed a network of people and companies to whom the State Agroagenture (PPA) gradually knocked over ten million subsidies. Some unlawful.

You will say, « Agrosector currently has a much more serious problem. The wing and clinker. » But in recent years, somehow has always been a priority over solving corruption in agriculture.

It is not only harmful to agriculture that, instead of better and cheaper domestic food, the state is distributing millions to family houses and dysfunctional farms of « our » people. Corruption also affects key nominations. An expert is not looking for a neighbor, a businesspartner, co -defended. Without selection procedures and claims for professionalism.

A merry -go -round of subsidies around the long -term PPA official

The Foundation pointed out that PPA, in violation of the rules, supported the 150,000 pension close to its longtime official Daniela Onderišinová. She worked for PPA for several bosses, even gradually growing career. He still holds a function in agroagentouts today.

At the same time, everyone who helped the official with the affiliated guesthouse received subsidies for 1.3 million euros. Some contracts were even stamped by Oderišinová. And all of them have doubts about the violation of the support rules.

These « helpers » were people mentioned in the cattle case. Elizabeth Papp and Róland Kos. The first originally of corruption in agrodotations testified, witnessing in her case was just Kos. In the case, for example, the oligarch is accused Norbert Bödör.

Pension based in Lehnice. (Source: Stop Corruption Foundation)

Errors rolled over, responsibility no

PPA so far fogs and does not induce responsibility for subsidy errors. Why? Maybe because the connection to the cattle and Bödöra case can be found at the tip of the agrosector.

The current State Secretary of the Ministry Vladimír Vnuk worked from 2016 to 2021 also on PPA. As the Executive Director. Juraj Kožuch was the CEO of the agroagenture at that time. At that time, the defendant in the cattler.

Another contemporary State Secretary is Kristína Vavríková, who first came to the Minister’s service office. It was replaced by Vladimír Tománek.

They both worked together in a lesser -known state -owned company air operating services. It was in it at a time when Blažej Zajec was in charge of the company. The flight operations became famous for its generous salary for his lover.

But he was also visible that although he had no experience in aviation, he had previously worked for Bonul’s security company. In the past, he drew attention to the connection of everyone in the past as the first weekly Plus 7 Days.

Also Kiss briefly “parked” in flight operating

By the way, former PPA chief Jozef worked for several weeks Kiss. It was a « break » for him after he unexpectedly left the agroagenture, and before he joined the management of the financial administration. It leads so far.

Pictured from the left Minister of Finance Ladislav Kamenický (Smer-SD) and President of the Financial Administration of the Slovak Republic Jozef Kiss (Source: TASR)

What is the link between the one who leads the agriculture department and subsidies for farmers? Stronger than it may seem.

The fresh report of the highest state controllers points out that PPA declares often planned agrodotation much later than it should, or even at all. Why? « To a large extent by engaging the Ministry of Agriculture in the creation of challenges as a management body, » explains the Supreme Audit Office.

It is the Ministry that has the first and last word for subsidies. The first in the announcement of programs, the last in checking the PPA procedure. Thus, even with disputed projects and PPA errors.

By the way, the current boss of PPA Marek Čepko also has the boss of the Bödörov family. Until his arrival at PPA he had a family farm, in which the share was sold to a trader from Nitra Hrnčiarovce after taking office. In addition to the cepk company, this sole trader does not officially appear in any other.

It seemed that the cattle case was a great exclamation point for the agrosector. Dozens of manipulated subsidies where the money did not go into prospective projects, but to companies that were willing to share the money. Through bribes.

The result is two defendants PPA, financier Martin Kvietik and the aforementioned Norbert Bödör.

New time, old faces

But the present suggests that these people are not only withdrawn from agropeňa. It even looks like they have come back and the distribution of agropeňázi manages.

I wish all farmers and responsible a lot of forces and good decisions in solving the coffin and clinker. And after that, corruption has to be addressed. If we tolerate people linked to cases instead of key functions, each additional epidemic will be solved much longer and more expensive than it should.