STA sees court decision as supporting its case in financing dispute with UKOM

Ljubljana – As the Ljubljana District Court has rejected a temporary injunction proposal with which the Slovenian Press Agency (STA) sought immediate payout of EUR 845,000 due from the Government Communication Office (UKOM), the STA announced it would appeal the decision, while noting that the court’s explanation indirectly supports STA’s case.

It was announced by UKOM last week that the court had rejected the proposal filed by a law firm representing the STA, which sought the payout of outstanding compensation by the government office for the public service performed by the STA in January-May.

The law firm also proposed as part of the temporary injunction that the STA be paid monthly compensation for public service for the remainder of this year, in instalments of EUR 169,000, an amount determined by the business plan for 2021.

UKOM said that the court said in the decision that “it is not permitted to demand from the sued party to pay the same amount that the plaintiff claims with the lawsuit, as this would prejudge the court’s decision in the case.”

STA director Bojan Veselinovič meanwhile said in a press release on Monday that the STA would appeal the decision through the authorised law firm. The appeal will be decided on by the Higher Court.

He added that in the explanatory note of the decision, the court said that “foundation for the payout is the 7th anti-coronavirus law and the adopted business plan of the STA for this year”.

The decision also noted that the fact that the contract between the STA and UKOM had not been signed for this year was not an obstacle for lawful payout of the compensation for the public service performed by the STA.

Veselinovič said this was an indirect confirmation by the court of the stance of the STA, which had been maintaining that the government had been tasked with financing the STA by the 7th anti-coronavirus law.

“This is important for the continuation of the enforcement procedure at the court; in particular in the case that the temporary injunction is rejected with a final decision,” the STA director added.

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