Police have charged a former employee of the Slovak cadastre with criminal breach of fiduciary duty. According to preliminary findings, the woman is accused of signing a 2016 amendment to a telecommunications services contract, which significantly expanded the scope of ordered services and technologies without a public procurement process. Expert analysis found the prices were grossly inflated, allegedly causing state damages exceeding €1.5 million before VAT.
The case is being investigated by the Anti-Corruption Division of the Office for Combating Organized Crime (ÚBOK) under the Police Presidium. Authorities have not disclosed the identity of the accused, the supplier, or the circumstances of the contract amendment.
Controversial Contract Amendment Signed in November 2016
According to spokesperson for the Police Presidium, Lea Vilhanová, the former cadastre official signed the telecommunications services amendment in November 2016.
The amendment expanded the original contract to cover additional services and technologies. These were directly assigned to an existing supplier without public tender.
The method used to expand the contract is a central focus of the ongoing investigation. Proper procurement, transparency, and fair pricing are essential when public funds are used to acquire services and technologies.
Experts Found Severe Price Inflation
The investigation also focused on the financial aspects of the amendment. According to police, experts determined that the one-off payments made were far above their typical market value.
The state thus allegedly paid over €1.5 million more than appropriate, excluding VAT. As a result, the former employee was charged with criminal breach of fiduciary duty.
The exact amount of harm, the circumstances of each transaction, and the possible responsibility of other individuals remain under investigation. At this stage, publicly available information does not indicate all those who participated in the preparation and execution of the contract amendment.
Police Have Not Released Further Details
Police spokesperson Lea Vilhanová stated that the investigation will continue with further procedural steps aimed at clarifying all circumstances of the case, including how the amendment came about, who was involved in its preparation, and how financial disbursements were approved.
The police have so far withheld the name of the accused and the supplier involved. It is also unclear if the investigation will target other individuals who may have participated in concluding or implementing the amendment.
Police said detailed information will be made public only when the legal situation allows. The reason is the ongoing criminal proceedings and the need not to compromise the investigation.
Cadastre Registry Previously Targeted by Other Fraud Cases
This case is not the only one in which the cadastre registry has faced allegations relating to misuse of assets or public data. In the past, police investigated an attempted fraud in which a man tried to transfer two properties worth more than €7 million to himself using forged sale contracts.
In that case, illegal ownership changes were detected, and the properties were returned to their original owners. More details are available in the article “Police Investigating €7 Million Fraud over Cadastre Property Transfers.”
The Office for Combating Organized Crime also targets economic crime and the misuse of public finances. In October, it announced it was seeking indictments against 18 people for tax fraud with state damages estimated at nearly €3.4 million. See “ÚBOK Proposes Indictment of 18 over €3.4 Million Tax Fraud.”
Another example of investigations concerning public spending is the case of pipe reconstruction at Trenčín Faculty Hospital, where police have reopened a probe into suspected fraud in a multi-million euro public contract. See “Pipe Contract at Trenčín Hospital Revisited as Police Probe Fraud Allegations.”
Guilt Will Be Determined by Court
At present, only a formal indictment has been issued against the former cadastre official; there has been no final ruling on guilt. Investigators must prove whether her actions constitute a criminal offense and what specific role she played in the amendment’s execution.
The crucial issues include the circumstances of the contract amendment’s signing, how additional services were commissioned, and the difference between the paid and customary price. Whether other officials or supplier representatives were aware of the conditions may also be important.
If suspicions are confirmed, the case could have serious criminal consequences. Under the presumption of innocence, however, only the courts may determine the accused’s criminal liability.
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This article was translated from the original Slovak version with the assistance of AI.
