Ministry grants 1.4 million euros to Polish national for crypto project; empty offices and defunct number found

Slovakia's Ministry of Investments has approved a 1.4 million euro grant from the recovery plan to a shell company, Biape, for experimental research, despite numerous warning signs. The company is registered in a Bratislava apartment building, and its sole owner is a Polish national residing abroad. He acquired the company just months before the grant application, suggesting a potential front operation.

Investigations by SME revealed that Biape's declared revenues appear to be fictitious. The company's website lists a non-existent phone number, and emails go unanswered. While Biape claims to have references for several research projects, no specific details are provided for verification. The grant contract mandates the company to hire 26 scientists and conduct research in an office building in Poprad, which reporters could not locate.

Biape's financial statements for 2024 were submitted in April 2026, after the contract with the ministry was signed, and well past the legal deadline. This raises questions about the company's legitimacy and the ministry's due diligence. Furthermore, the company's financial records are identical to another firm, Miape, also owned by the same Polish national, indicating fabricated revenues. In November 2024, a Slovak national, Gabriel Boško, who has declared personal bankruptcy and appears to be involved in numerous companies, became Biape's owner, suggesting he might be acting as a straw man.