We haven't received a penny from Darce.

The director of the Slovenian Canoe Association, Andrej Jelenc, has denied receiving any financial support from Dars, a state-owned infrastructure company, despite ongoing investigations into alleged donations made by Dars or its former chairman, Andrej Ribič. According to reports from the investigative website preiskovalno.si, the Corruption Prevention Commission (KPK) is examining potential contributions from Dars or Ribič, who was previously the president of both Dars and the Canoe Association of Slovenia (KZS). Jelenc emphasized that the association had received nothing from Dars, stating he was unaware of how much money might have been transferred to other accounts linked to their sport. The KPK reportedly accuses the association of providing sponsorships to clubs such as Simon, Soška Electrarna, and some minor assistance to the Ljubljana club. However, when the association submitted its application to Dars, it was rejected due to a conflict of interest.

Ribič's term as president of the Canoe Association will end next year, but it remains unclear whether he will run again. In recent days, Jelenc has faced criticism over the lack of funding to ensure the national team could depart earlier for the World Championships in the United States compared to most top teams. Some Slovenian athletes, notably Eva Alina and Žiga Lin Hočevar, believe this put them at a disadvantage. Jelenc acknowledged understanding their concerns, noting these athletes needed time to adapt to the tracks. However, he explained that they couldn't provide funds without having them available. He mentioned that the association only recently received a decision from the ministry regarding the amount of funding they would receive in 2026, which meant they were just now aware of their budget for a season already halfway through. Their funding plan, developed with loans and additional sponsorship money, was based on previous years' expectations and did not anticipate an earlier departure to the U.S.

Jelenc admitted that the association had received slightly more money than anticipated, but he said there was nothing he could do about the timing of the departure. He stated that now they knew where they stood and would rebalance their plans, potentially returning some of the money athletes had invested themselves. He noted that the first half of the season, before receiving the official decision, posed challenges for all sports, not just theirs.

Andrej Ribič has resigned from his position as head of Dars, a move he announced during a meeting of the supervisory board. He proposed the agreement to terminate his role as head of the management board, citing economic and business reasons. The supervisory board agreed to prepare an agreement to settle rights and obligations from his employment contract. Ribič will continue in his role until August 15. Minister for Infrastructure and Energy, Jernej Vrtovec, expressed expectations for Ribič to take responsibility following revelations of alleged irregularities in the construction of a new office building for Dars in Ljubljana. Despite claims of irregularities, Dars stated that a technical review of the investment showed no violations.

Ribič took over leadership of Dars in November 2024, succeeding David Skornšek, who assumed control after Valentin Hajdinjak stepped down amid media revelations of alleged misconduct within the company. Skornšek remained a member of the board, along with Alenka Muhič and Nika Drakulič as the managing director. Before joining Dars, Ribič was the long-time president of Elektra Ljubljana, and upon his resignation in autumn 2021, allegations emerged regarding political pressures on staffing in the energy sector.

Ribič’s tenure at Dars has been marked by several controversies and questionable practices. One notable issue involved the construction of a new office building for Dars on Grič Hill in Ljubljana. Ribič signed controversial appendices and contracts without public tenders being issued. Although the main construction contract, signed in July 2021 while Valentin Hajdinjak was still in charge, amounted to 19.5 million euros including VAT, three appendices and an additional contract were later signed, increasing the project cost by more than 50 percent, or 10.5 million euros. Initially signed by interim CEO Skornšek, followed by Ribič in February and June of last year, an additional contract was signed in March of this year without a public tender. Ribič signed the contentious appendices and contracts even though the increase exceeded the 30 percent threshold set by law. He personally approved the payments, and the building was already in use when further payments totaling hundreds of thousands of euros were still being authorized. New Minister for Infrastructure and Energy Jernej Vrtovec warned early in June that he expects Ribič to take responsibility for these issues.

Ribič also faces accusations of conflicts of interest, family staffing, suspicious dealings involving car towing, and strengthening contracts with companies from the narrow circle of the Freedom Movement. During his presidency, there were increasingly more contracts signed with companies associated with the Freedom Movement. Among these was Mobilia, d.o.o., whose owner is Tomislav Blagojević, the brother-in-law of Jane Jerman, a member of Robert Golob's faction. This year, the State Audit Office (DKOM) filed a formal accusation against Dars and responsible individuals, including Ribič, regarding possible violations of the Public Procurement Act related to the new Dars building.

Even more controversial were statements by former Dars supervisory board chairman Jože Oberstar, who was also connected to the company primarily as a lawyer during Ribič's tenure. Oberstar became embroiled in a scandal involving deep-state corruption, appearing in videos exposing corruption. Oberstar claimed that under current management, Dars served as a political tool for Golob to fund media outlets and non-governmental organizations aligned with the previous administration. Through advertising, sponsorships, and business dealings, money flowed to allies of the Freedom Movement, allegedly intended to settle scores with political opponents, a scenario revealed in numerous major media outlets. Oberstar exposed the background of personnel purges, pressure on the supervisory board, and mechanisms by which public funds might have been distributed for political purposes through state enterprises.