An article in daily Hospodarske Noviny points to the cheap sale of plots of land in the lucrative old Town of Bratislava by the Ministry of Culture last year, with the news revealed in a recent report by the Supreme Audit Office (NKU).
The Ministry, led by Smer-SD faithful Marek Madaric, is reported to have sold land at a bargain price to the company Epoque, owned by a company that just so happens to be based in tax haven and anonymity-granting Cyprus. The daily reveals also that the owner is a client of J&T Real Esta

te, which, conveniently or not, is developing the Panorama City residential complex next to the plots in question. The development is right on the banks of the River Danube next to Eurovea centre.
The land was by no means sold for free, however, with the NKU stating a price of EUR 388 per square metre as having been paid by Epoque, while the going market rate is more like EUR 500, according to the report. Ironically, the NKU has no jurisdiction over the Ministry and so can’t pursue the issue further, although it may pass the matter on to the Financial Directorate SR.
Yes, an old story but worth keeping in the public domain if only to highlight the links between the SMER Govt. and dodgy offshore supporters.
It’s a shame the press didn’t latch on to some local transactions – where a close relative of our clown mayor was able to obtain a “surplus” office block close to the city centre for 1 Euro or the ongoing farce of a “charity” with proven links to local celebs, given some land in the city centre to build a small park ” a haven of green, peace and safety for the city” only for them to cut the grass, place some “art works” and a few logs – the main effort being put into errecting a 2m fence and wall around the site and permanently locked steel gates. Everyone is at it and there will be no change until someone starts locking these people up and banning them from ever holding public office again.
Yawn …old story …what 2012/2013 ….Hardly current ??