Slovenska različica

Ministrstvo za kulturo RS objavlja zahtevek za objavo popravka članka, objavljenega na spletni strani časopisa TAZ dne 22. aprila 2021, z naslovom Die neue Achse des Bösen (Nova os zla).

Avtorica članka navaja, da so Renato Zamida kot direktorico JAK-a razrešili zaradi njene poklicne malomarnosti in nekaterih kaznivih dejanj, ob tem pa izpostavlja, da Zamida ni sprejela novega strateškega načrta za obdobje 2020–2024. Zamida je, po navedbi avtorice članka, vse obtožbe odločno zavrnila.

Pojasnimo naj, da je avtorica članka izjave ministrstva za kulturo povsem iztrgala iz konteksta, saj je iz celotnega odgovora izluščila zgolj najmanj obremenjujoč očitek, medtem ko je ostala pojasnila ministrstva povsem prezrla.

Poudarjamo, da je že prejšnji minister za kulturo Zoran Poznič, kandidat politične stranke Socialnih demokratov, začel postopek za razrešitev Zamide kot direktorice JAK-a. Dejstvo, da je bila Zamida pred kratkim kazensko ovadena tudi zaradi korupcije, govori samo zase.

Odločba o njeni razrešitvi je jasna. Poleg nesprejetja strateškega načrta za obdobje 2020–2024 – članek od vseh omembe vrednih kršitev izpostavlja le tega –, Zamida ni opravljala niti osnovnih nalog, ki jih je bila kot direktorica dolžna opravljati:

• JAK v letih 2018 in 2019 ni podeljeval štipendij za vrhunske ustvarjalce s področja leposlovja in humanistike in s tem kršil zakon;
• svet JAK-a je ugotovil, da so bile priprave JAK-a na slovensko predstavitev na frankfurtskem knjižnem sejmu pod vodstvom Zamide nezadostne in je zato sprejel sklep, da vodstvo agencije v najkrajšem možnem času pripravi načrt kriznega upravljanja projekta Frankfurt 2023;
• JAK se pod vodstvom Zamide ni prijavil na seznam evidence MJU v skladu z uredbo o skupnem javnem naročanju, kar so javni organi dolžni storiti. Ker zaradi tega ne more sodelovati v sistemu skupnih javnih naročil v javni upravi, mora dobrine kot so elektrika, voda, pošta, računalniška oprema kupovati za trgu, kar je bistveno dražje.

Poleg tega, da Zamida ni izvrševala svojih dolžnosti, je JAK odkril več nepravilnosti in sumov korupcije:

• vnaprej pripravljeni razpis za investicijska in vzdrževalna dela, ki je bil zasnovan tako, da je dajal prednost točno določenemu izvajalca;
• podpis poslovne pogodbe z osebami, ki niso imele registrirane dejavnosti, ki bi jo v skladu s pogodbo opravljale;
• podpis najemne pogodbe z zasebno založbo – njen direktor je član sveta JAK-a –, ki je omogočala ustanovitev knjigarne-kavarne; ob tem pa Zamida ni pridobila soglasja Ministrstva za kulturo, kar pomeni očitno kršitev potrebne skrbnosti, saj je nepremičnina, ki je bila predmet pogodbe, v lasti ministrstva.

Ob navedenih dejstvih so trditve Zamide, Slavoja Žižka in Slavka Pregla, da je bila Zamida razrešena politično oziroma ker je bila »neodvisna, glasna in priljubljena«, povsem absurdne. Kot rečeno, Zamido je zaradi nepravilnosti in sumov korupcije nameravala razrešiti že prejšnja (leva) vlada. Ker je predsednik prejšnje vlade Marjan Šarec januarja 2020 odstopil, je postopek za razrešitev Zamide prevzel in zaključil zdajšnji minister za kulturo.

Angleška različica

The Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Slovenia is issuing a request for a correction of your article published on the website of the TAZ newspaper on 22 April 2021, entitled Die neue Achse des Bösen (The New Axis of Evil).

The article states that Renata Zamida was replaced due to professional negligence and certain crimes. It only specifically points out she did not adopt a new strategic plan for the period 2020-2024, based on which the former director also defended herself in the article. The journalist cherry-picked parts of the Ministry’s statement and took it out of context. She pointed out the least damning accusation from the entire statement dismissing more serious ones.

First and foremost, we are pointing out that the previous minister Zoran Poznič, who belongs to the Social democrats party already started procedures to replace Mrs. Zamida. The former director has since then already been officially indicted on corruption charges.

In addition to the non-adoption of the strategic plan for the period 2020-2024, which the article points out as the only noteworthy offense, Mrs. Zamida, as established in the decision on her dismissal, did not perform even the basic tasks she was obliged to perform as a director:

• in 2018 and 2019, the agency did not award scholarships for top authors in the field of literature and humanities, thus violating the law;
• the agency's Council found that current preparations for the Slovenian presentation at the Frankfurt Book Fair were insufficient and therefore adopted a decision that the agency's management prepare a crisis management plan for the Frankfurt 2023 project as soon as possible;
• the director did not register her agency for the joint public procurement, which public institutions are obligated to do. As a result, the agency cannot participate in the system of joint public procurement in public administration. Thus the agency must now buy goods such as electricity, water, post office services and computer equipment at market prices, which is significantly more expensive.

Besides failure to diligently executing her duties, the Slovenian book agency discovered several irregularities and suspicion of corruption. For example:

• pre-arranged tenders for investment and maintenance work, which were designed to be won by a specific candidate;
• signing a business contract with individuals who are not registered to carry out business activities, which were the essence of the contract;
• signing a rent contract which allowed a publishing house – the director of which is incidentally also a member of the council of the Slovenian Book agency to establish a bookshop-coffeeshop, without obtaining a consent from the Ministry of Culture, which constitutes a clear breach of due diligence.

As such claims of Mrs. Zamida, Slavoj Žižek and Slavko Pregl that the director was replaced politically or because it was because it was "independent, loud and popular« are simply preposterous.

As we have pointed out, due to irregularities and suspicion of corruption she was about to be replaced by the previous left-wing government as well, if the prime minister Šarec had not resigned in January 2020.