Bratislava Mayor fined for business involvement

Bratislava mayor Milan Ftacnik was fined for some 27,000 euros (about 35,800 U.S. dollars) by the city councilors on Thursday for his engagement in the supervisory board of a private insurance company. According to local authorities, Ftacnik violated a constitutional law on the protection of the public interests by simultaneously holding a post as vice-president and member of the supervisory board of the private insurance company Komunalna poistovna for around 15 months since March 2012. Ftacnik also violated the law by failing to indicate his supervisory board membership in written notification of his occupations, activities and financial status for 2012. Ftacnik left Komunalna poistovna's supervisory board on June 25 after he was challenged by a citizen, paid back the 5,197.87 euros that he had received from the private insurance company. "I realize that I made a mistake. Breaking the law is a serious matter. I didn't do it intentionally," Ftacnik said after the councilors' ruling.