Title: Love mails expose alleged US fund fraud.
Subject(s): GOVERNMENTAL investigations -- United States; FRAUD --
Slovakia -- Cases
Source: Slovak Spectator, 11/19/2001, Vol. 7 Issue 44, p1, 1/5p

Author(s): Tynan, Deirdre; Pisarova, Martina Abstract: Reports on an investigation being conducted by the United States embassy in Slovakia on allegations that an employee defrauded a grant fund, as of November 25, 2001. Background of the suspect; How the crime was discovered;

Information on the involvement of the Scientology Church in the case.

AN: 5812672
Full Text Word Count: 342
Database: Newspaper Source
Section: NEWS
LOVE MAILS EXPOSE ALLEGED US FUND FRAUD

The US embassy is investigating allegations an employee defrauded a grant fund of Sk 400,000 ($8,000).

The allegations were made after the female employee's husband discovered over 200 e-mails between her and the chief executive of Softip, a leading Slovak information systems company.

The e-mails allegedly outline an affair between Monika A. and Daniel Dobrota, who is married with four children.

In a May 25 interview for Sme daily Dobrota denied he was a practicing Scientologist. But according to Monika's husband, Francisco A., Dobrata admitted in the e-mails that he was a practising Scientologist and that proof of his wife's misuse of US funds could be found on a recorded confessional "audit" she made at a Scientology Church.

Jiri Voracek, Czech and Slovak Republics Scientology Church representative, said the audit would never be made public as it was a secret confession similar to medical records. He said the affair was "a part of planned campaign" against the Scientology Church.

After discovering the emails Francesco A., who is an Italian national, turned them over to the Institute for Church and State which is studying the correspondence.

The US embassy has confirmed it is conducting an internal investigation into the alleged misuse of grant money, but it declined to make any further comment.

A spokesman for the embassy said: "Because the investigation is ongoing and because of U.S. government regulations regarding the confidentiality of personnel actions the Embassy cannot comment publicly on the allegations."

However, it is understood that Monika A. has taken holiday leave and that the allegedly misused grant funds came from the Democracy Commission which offers small grants to NGOs.

Softip recently won a public tender for a personnel information system for the Defence Ministry.

However, spokeswoman Ingrid Stanova said her ministry was still negotiating the conditions of the contract.

"It's related to the Law on protection of secret information, which took effect November 1," Stanova said.

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By Deirdre Tynan and Martina Pisarova, Spectator Staff

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