State secretary's brother accused of fraud involving EU funds worth €860,000
Police have accused the brother of state secretary Radomír Šalitroš of fraud in drawing down EU funds. Šalitroš has branded the prosecution as politically motivated and spoken of harassment of his family.
State secretary's brother faces allegations of EU fund fraud
According to ta3.com, police have accused the brother of state secretary Radomír Šalitroš of the Ministry of Investment, Regional Development and Informatisation of the Slovak Republic (MIRRI) of fraud in drawing money from European funds. An investigator has accused one natural person and one legal person of causing damage to the financial interests of the European Union. Police have calculated the damage at over €860,000; if found guilty, the perpetrator faces a prison sentence of up to ten years.
According to police, the case concerns the submission of false or incomplete information in an application for subsidies. Police headquarters announced the charges following a May raid on the premises of Šalitroš's brother's company.
State secretary Šalitroš responded on Wednesday, 3 June, with a statement in which he described the prosecution of his relative as deliberate, politically motivated and unjustified. "I already consider the characterisation of the act to be absurd, because no damage has occurred," said Šalitroš. He simultaneously reiterated that he had been subjected to pressure, threats and warnings that without political cooperation, his family members could become the target of interest of state bodies.
Both Šalitroš and his colleague Samuel Migaľ, both unaffiliated, were expelled from the ruling party Hlas-SD last year. This occurred after both criticised conditions within the coalition during a coalition crisis, and their stance complicated the passage of proposals in parliament. As part of efforts to restore the government majority, Migaľ subsequently became minister of investment and Šalitroš his state secretary.
Source: Google News SK — Crime (sk)