PM corruption scandal shaking Slovenia

Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Jansa denies Finnish TV accusations that he accepted a bribe from the Patria company. The storm sparked by the accusations on the Slovenian political scene, with an election campaign in full swing, has yet to subside. PM corruption scandal shaking Slovenia The scandal is still the main news story in Slovenia. Allegedly, Jansa received commission to the tune of several million euros from the Finnish company to put together an agreement for the sale of 135 armored vehicles to the Slovenian military. The prime minister held a news conference yesterday in Ljubljana, where he dismissed the claims as nonsense and lies, adding that he had not played any part in the selection of a contractor for the aforesaid vehicles. Jansa said that it was no coincidence that this story had come to light on the very eve of the parliamentary elections scheduled for September 21. Jansa told Slovenian television last night that he had never seen another case like it, where a television station from one country had got involved in the election campaign of another. He is insisting that the Finnish television station show the contentious documents that their journalist based the bribery claims on. The Slovenian government’s Communications Office has also asked for the documents from the YLE station, stating that if the station fails to send them, a public apology will be demanded. The prime minister’s claim that the story’s timing was no coincidence was addressed by Slovenian state news agency STA, which ran a story on how the director of Finnish state television had once been an adviser to the former Finnish prime minister from the ranks of the country’s social democrat party, whose sister party in Slovenia is Jansa’s biggest opponent. Slovenian daily Finance has already called these attempts by STA, whose director is Jansa’s party’s former adviser, as something akin to “tying Patria to the Comintern”. Commenting on these claims, Finance printed an article entitled “Jansa wants to get out of this the Balkan way,” quoting a Slovenian businessman working in Finland, Milan Smolej, who says that the Finnish police work completely independently and that in Finland, the courts and politics are fully separated. “Jansa wants to get out of this the Balkan way, but Finland is not the Balkans,” Smolej tells Finance, adding that the Finnish are known for not giving up on something they have started. The author of the story, Magnus Berglund, has already given a number of statements to the Slovenian media. He uncovered another scandal involving Patria last year, in which they bribed officials in Egypt in a deal involving the sale of howitzers. Berglund said that he was not interested in the Slovenian campaign or elections, adding that every claim made in his show was backed up with documents that were verified by a number of sources. Berglund would not reveal his sources, adding that he would not give the Slovenian government the documents either. He said that the documents would be made public once the Finnish police handed the case over to the prosecution and when legal proceedings began. However, Slovenian state television, which plans to air the Finnish show in question tonight, stated that if the documents were not sent to the Slovenian government it would sue the station. The Slovenian opposition is already calling for an emergency parliamentary session regarding the Patria scandal. Janez Jansa (FoNet, archive)

PM corruption scandal shaking Slovenia

The scandal is still the main news story in Slovenia. Allegedly, Janša received commission to the tune of several million euros from the Finnish company to put together an agreement for the sale of 135 armored vehicles to the Slovenian military.

The prime minister held a news conference yesterday in Ljubljana, where he dismissed the claims as nonsense and lies, adding that he had not played any part in the selection of a contractor for the aforesaid vehicles.

Janša said that it was no coincidence that this story had come to light on the very eve of the parliamentary elections scheduled for September 21. Janša told Slovenian television last night that he had never seen another case like it, where a television station from one country had got involved in the election campaign of another.

He is insisting that the Finnish television station show the contentious documents that their journalist based the bribery claims on. The Slovenian government’s Communications Office has also asked for the documents from the YLE station, stating that if the station fails to send them, a public apology will be demanded.

The prime minister’s claim that the story’s timing was no coincidence was addressed by Slovenian state news agency STA, which ran a story on how the director of Finnish state television had once been an adviser to the former Finnish prime minister from the ranks of the country’s social democrat party, whose sister party in Slovenia is Janša’s biggest opponent.

Slovenian daily Finance has already called these attempts by STA, whose director is Janša’s party’s former adviser, as something akin to “tying Patria to the Comintern”. Commenting on these claims, Finance printed an article entitled “Janša wants to get out of this the Balkan way,” quoting a Slovenian businessman working in Finland, Milan Smolej, who says that the Finnish police work completely independently and that in Finland, the courts and politics are fully separated.

“Janša wants to get out of this the Balkan way, but Finland is not the Balkans,” Smolej tells Finance, adding that the Finnish are known for not giving up on something they have started.

The author of the story, Magnus Berglund, has already given a number of statements to the Slovenian media. He uncovered another scandal involving Patria last year, in which they bribed officials in Egypt in a deal involving the sale of howitzers. Berglund said that he was not interested in the Slovenian campaign or elections, adding that every claim made in his show was backed up with documents that were verified by a number of sources.

Berglund would not reveal his sources, adding that he would not give the Slovenian government the documents either. He said that the documents would be made public once the Finnish police handed the case over to the prosecution and when legal proceedings began.

However, Slovenian state television, which plans to air the Finnish show in question tonight, stated that if the documents were not sent to the Slovenian government it would sue the station.

The Slovenian opposition is already calling for an emergency parliamentary session regarding the Patria scandal.