Kalinak Rejects Claims of Disadvantageous Real Estate Transactions
Bratislava, May 22 (TASR) – Interior Minister Robert Kalinak (Smer-SD) held a press conference on Monday to reject the Opposition’s claims in recent weeks that the ministry has wasted money on certain disadvantageous real estate transactions.
The Interior Ministry has called the criticism senseless, describing it as attacks on successful Government projects. Kalinak Monday returned on to the issue of building a client centre on Tomasikova Street in Bratislava, the exchange of two plots of land for apartments for police officers in Bratislava’s borough of Ruzinov and the acquisition of a building to be used as a client centre in Martin (Zilina region).
The minister stated there’s an effort to produce the impression of suspicions. “In the case of [the old] Ikea [building, now being used as a client centre on Tomasikova Street in Bratislava], we went significantly beyond the border of how these things used to be done in the past,” said Kalinak, stressing that the Interior Ministry presented the whole project back in 2014. “It’s not true that the law was violated in acquiring Ikea,” he stressed.
According to Kalinak, the state in this case acquired real estate with an area of over 11,000 square metres at the advantageous price of €825 per square metre, which is roughly one third below the market price.
Concerning the exchange of plots of land in the broader city centre and in Bratislava’s borough of Nove Mesto for four apartments for police officers in Bratislava’s borough of Ruzinov, the ministry based its approach on an expert estimate, said Kalinak.
The final case concerns the acquisition of a building to be used as a client centre in Martin. The ministry bought it for €3.9 million. Kalinak said that the building was interesting thanks to its location and size, as state administration bodies, police, a prosecutor’s office and a court will be located there.
“The final price is the only thing that matters. The main goal is to acquire a good building at a good price, and we’ve been successful in this,” stated Kalinak.
