- Investigators examining dubious supplies of wood in Trnava and Nove Zamky customs duty storage discovered that they are from the reserves of the state-run Lesy SR company. Police are acting on the basis of a directive from Agriculture Minister Zsolt Simon, a source from the Ministry told SLOVAKIA Tuesday, without detailing which affiliate of the state company supplied the timber. Simon said that out of 120 inspected train wagons, wood in 51 wagons posted differences between the declared and real parameters of quality and quantity. Already at the end of February, Simon announced that criminal motions were being filed against unknown offenders following financial inspections at Lesy SR. He noted that audits indicated purposeful distortion of economic results, non-transparent procurement of goods and services, as well as disadvantageous contracts for wood supplies. A new director has already been chosen for Lesy SR in previous tenders, and the Ministry plans its transformation into a joint stock company by the end of this year. Simon noted that sufficient amount of timber for domestic customers must be the priority of company's business policy. For instance, exports of wood in January 2003 dropped from 130,000 to 18,000 cubic metres year-on-year.