Financial group Penta has been the subject of scrutiny by the media ever since the Gorilla corruption affair broke, with allegations that it has been in cahoots with political figures for years, and now it has been revealed that Penta partner Jaroslav Hascak has been renting a house from newly appointed economy minister Tomas Malatinsky for a handsome EUR 4,000 a month.
Penta spokesman Martin Danko said the deal is a private affair and has nothing to do with Penta’s activities, but many could not be blamed for thinking the links between the economy minister and the financial giant are too close for comfort. Malatinsky rented out a large house on the Zahorska Bystrica suburb of Bratislava in 2005 or 2006, which only by chance is the period that the Gorilla corruption allegations focus on.
Malatinsky does not reject the claim and even announced the amount of rental to the media at a press conference. He does not see any problem with it and so does not plan terminating the agreement. Malatinsky says he can live with the fact as he lives with “many suspicions” anyway, while rejecting claims that Hascak or Penta would have some kind of influence over him in future. Malatinsky got his hands on the land from state-owned enterprise Elektrovod over a decade ago.
Novy Cas published an air photo of the area, its a little Benta enclave. Does Malatinsky own all of the property shown or just the one?
Benta in the frame again!
4k a month rent – yeah right! SMER in office less than a week and and a key minister is found in bed with Dodgy and Co. Malatinsky, with typical SK arogance, doesn’t see anything “wrong” with this. Has the man no integrity? Or could it be that the “rent” is well over the market rate, a nice little earner.
Benta have admitted to operating just inside the law with no moral or ethical principles. Paying a Govt Minister “rent” may be legal but I assume every right thinking person can see that this is wrong.