An internal audit by the Ministry of Culture (MK) of the Slovak Republic in the Slovak National Gallery (SNG) has shown serious errors that may ultimately have a criminal legal dimension. This was stated by Minister of Culture Martina Šimkovičová (SNS nominee) in connection with the findings of the audit, which mapped the period from January to December 2023. She presented the results of the audit at a press conference on Wednesday.
"The audit revealed 26 shortcomings, five of which were serious," said the Minister. According to her, the findings are so serious that the department will forward them to the Supreme Audit Office of the Slovak Republic. As she added, the errors may ultimately have a criminal legal dimension. "The most serious finding of the audit was that over 5.5 million euros for construction work during the reconstruction of the SNG were paid without a legal reason," announced Šimkovičová.
The acting general director of the SNG, Jaroslav Niňaj, explained that other reported errors concern, for example, contracts signed in violation of the law, insufficient financial discipline and incorrect settings of the institution's management systems. He also repeated the findings already presented that the reconstruction of the SNG did not solve the problem of leaks and damage caused by groundwater.
"A construction-technical and legal audit will be carried out, which will have the task of determining whether the errors occurred in the project or whether management decisions are behind the failure," explained Niňaj. He also announced the intention to conduct a personnel audit in the gallery, admitting that he is encountering a persistent lack of interest in cooperation on the part of some employees in this regard.
The General Secretary of the Service Office of the Ministry of Culture of the Slovak Republic, Lukáš Machala, pointed out that some SNG employees literally ignore the orders of their superiors. "The internal audit has shown that this disrespect and diregard are also a reflection of the previous functioning of the gallery and the fact that some had a great life, doing what they wanted and when they wanted," said Machala. According to him, the ministry's efforts for change are aimed at ensuring that professional working relations prevail at the SNG and that public funds are used economically and efficiently.
Source: TASR
