The freedom of speech "is sometimes deformed by the approach of journalists," said Prime Minister Robert Fico in the political talk show "O 5 Minut 12" broadcasted on Sunday by the public service Slovak Television. In this way he responded to the journalists whom a pension fund management companies allegedly paid a ski and entertainment trip to the Alps.
"Several journalists have confessed a not completely pure cooperation with companies or PR agencies. They offered these services for about SKK 20,000 per month. It was enough to sign delivered commentaries and articles. They were written in a quiet professional way so the person even looked clever -- an economic journalist described methods of a pension fund management company operating in Slovakia," Mr. Fico quoted a certain weekly. If such a sentence was announced in connection with the Slovak government, extraordinary parliamentary sessions, extraordinary press conferences and TV talk shows would be convened, he thinks. Mr. Fico called on the media to go after the abovementioned information printed in the weekly. He stated that corruption does not occur only in the form of various trips. Another way is, when "a person just takes money and signs an article praising some insurance company or some one else."
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