The state-owned company Vodohospodárska výstavba has filed a criminal complaint against an unknown perpetrator in the position of the statutory body of power producer Slovenské Elektrárne (SE). "The reason for this step was a contract on the operation of the hydropower plant Gabčíkovo with Slovenské Elektrárne. The state-owned enterprise sees in the actions of certain individuals characteristic of the attempted criminal offense of fraud", said the spokeswoman for the company Diana Migalova Baschierova without giving any details of who these people might be. Vodohospodárska Výstavba insists on its position that Slovenské Elektrárne has not properly honoured the contract on the operation of the Gabčíkovo hydropower plant by not paying the contractually agreed amount of €5 million for maintenance of this hydropower plant. "The power utility started having problems with these never disputed payments from September 2013, or approximately from the date when information first appeared that the Italian company Enel plans to sell its 66% stake in SE. Until then, there were no problems with the payments", added Migalova Baschierova. The state-owned company claims that it pays on average €15 million annually to the Slovak Vodohospodárska Výstavba company for maintaining Gabčíkovo in operational condition, Slovenské Elektrárne thereby pays only a third of the total cost of maintenance.
In early December the Government decided to terminate the lease contract for the Gabčíkovo hydropower plant with Slovenské Elektrárne. The state is expected to take the plant into its own hands in early March next year. According to Prime Minister Robert Fico there were at least three reasons for terminating the contract. The first one is the failure to provide the relevant data necessary for calculating the share of Vodohospodárska Výstavba from revenue gathered via the sale of electricity produced in Gabčíkovo. The second reason is the fact that Slovenské Elektrárne under Italian management has not prepared any plans for the refurbishment and general overhaul of this hydropower plant. The third reason is that the Italian company Enel is not fulfilling its obligation to pay €5 million euro annually to Vodohospodárska Výstavba, which manages the whole hydropower plant project of Gabčíkovo, with the money allocated for the maintenance of facilities related to the operation of the Gabčíkovo hydropower plant. According to Fico, Enel is disputing that payment and even asked the Slovak side to return the previously paid €43 million. Slovenské Elektrárne rejects all claims that it somehow violated the contract on the operation of the hydropower plant .
The contract on the plant's operation was signed in March 2006, before the actual completion of the privatisation process, by the state owned company Vodohospodárska Výstavba and Slovenské Elektrárne. By signing the contract Slovenské Elektrárne acquired the right to operate the Gabčíkovo hydropower plant for a period of 30 years. The incoming first government of Robert Fico objected to this contract and in 2007 challenged it in court, asking to cancel the it. So far there are a total of twelve lawsuits pending in courts in this case.
