Opposition Wants House Committee to Look into Trips of Fico and Sutaj Estok

Bratislava, January 15 (TASR) - The House Conflict of Interest Committee is likely to look into trips of Interior Minister Matus Sutaj Estok (Voice-SD) to Abu Dhabi and Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer-SD) to Vietnam, as opposition lawmakers of 'Slovakia'-For the People-KU coalition initiated a session to that effect over suspicions that the trips violated the law, Committee chair Veronika Remisova ('Slovakia'-For the People-KU) announced at a press briefing on Wednesday. "We will initiate a session of the committee and insist on having them submit trustworthy and genuine explanations. If they don't do so, it will serve as yet another evidence that they regard the laws and the people of Slovakia with disdain," stated Remisova. According to Remisova, the last year's visit of the Interior Minister to Dubai raises serious suspicions and it still hasn't been established who paid for it, hence minister Sutaj Estok should submit evidence to prove it wasn't a gift but a sojourn that he fully paid from his own pocket, otherwise he might receive a fine worth twelve monthly salaries. Similar proceedings are to be initiated in the case of Prime Minister Fico, as it's not yet clear who paid for his trip to Moscow and there are several suspicions regarding his subsequent trip to Vietnam, including legal violations and acceptance of illicit gifts. Interior Minister Sutaj Estok claimed in the past that he paid the Abu Dhabi trip from his own pocket, even though it involved also talks on cooperation. Sutaj Estok travelled to Dubai at the invitation of FIA President Mohammed ben Sulayem. Prime Minister Fico confirmed he had gone recently to Vietnam for a vacation and spent nine days there at a resort. Fico rejected claims of 'Slovakia' party, according to which he'd spent two weeks at a luxury hotel apartment, equipped with a gold-plated bathtub, where a single night costs €6,400 and stated instead that he'd spent a single day at the apartment in question for informal talks, with the logistics, security and venue provided by the Vietnamese Government. mf