Defence minister denies knowing about dubious Czech EU presidency contract

Prague, Jan 27 (CTK) - Czech Defence Minister Alexandr Vondra (Civic Democrats, ODS), former deputy prime minister for EU affairs, told reporters yesterday that he had neither personally negotiated nor signed the allegedly suspicious contract with the Promopro firm during the Czech EU presidency.

He added he had not been acquainted with the contract either.

Vondra headed the team preparing the Czech Republic's EU presidency in the first half of 2009.

The then Government Office head Jan Novak stipulated that he and his economic advisers and deputies would approve the contracts, Vondra, deputy chairman of the senior government ODS, said.

He, however, admitted that people from his team had also participated in the preparation of the contracts.

"I personally neither negotiated nor signed any contracts and I was not acquainted with most of them either. This is also true about the contract with Promopro," Vondra said.

Novak dismissed responsibility for the order. "The section controlled by deputy prime minister Vondra was responsible for the preparation of contracts and choice of suppliers. In this particular case he assured me that the framework contract with the supplier is faultless. I did not have any reason to doubt his work or the competence of the aides he chose," Novak told CTK.

Novak challenged Vondra's claim that he did not know about the preparation of the Promopro contract.

"We talked personally about the contract and he asked me to quickly complete the contract and assured me it is in order," Novak told CTK.

"Deputy prime minister Alexandr Vondra was clearly responsible for the preparation of contracts and negotiations with suppliers. The Government Office head was formally signing it," then prime minister Mirek Topolanek said in an interivew with daily Lidove noviny.

He said Vondra's arguments in the case are ridiculous.

Vondra said the Promopro case might be connected with the discrediting camping against him and the ODS. He said he knew for some time that such a campaign is being prepared.

The criminal complaint about the suspicious order placed with Promopro was filed by the financial analytical section of the Finance Ministry.

Finance Minister Miroslav Kalousek (TOP 09) dismissed Vondra's words about a discriminatory campaign tonight.

Kalousek called on Vondra to apologise to the section's employees.

"I strongly dismiss its (the section's) activities, objectivity and independence being challenged. It seems to me it is particularly unfortunate if this is done by a member of a government that claims it will fight corruption," Kalousek said in a press release.

Bohuslav Sobotka, acting chairman of the opposition Social Democrats (CSSD), issued a press release yesterday calling on Vondra to resign as minister if the waste of money during the Czech EU presidency is confirmed."

"The Prime Minister will not obviously call on him to do so and will behave just as in the Drobil case," Sobotka wrote.

Drobil (ODS) was environment minister. He resigned by himself in December after some hesitation over a scandal with alleged corruption at the State Environmental Fund (SFZP) that falls under the ministry.

"I did nothing bad. I resolutely and fundamentally dismiss any considerations about that I did something bad, not alone corruption, therefore I am by no means considering resigning," Vondra said.

Prime Minister Petr Necas (ODS) said more or less the same about the contract as Vondra, earlier yesterday. He said not Vondra but Novak was responsible for the allegedly suspicious order.

The economic section in charge of the contract fell under the the Government Office head, Necas said.

Daily Pravo wrote yesterday that the Finance Ministry has filed a criminal complaint about the suspicious order given to Promopro.

Pravo wrote that the order was placed with Promopro firm by the government section of the Czech presidency that Vondra headed then.

The Aktualne.cz server also wrote yesterday that the Finance Ministry "is sending police to check the team of Vondra."

Finance Ministry spokesman Ondrej Jakob confirmed the information about a criminal complaint having been filed for CTK yesterday.

"The complaint has been filed by the financial analytical section that dealt with the case for several months on the basis of an announcement by an obligated person in harmony with the law on money laundering," Jakob said.

Pravo wrote that the sum that Promopro was to get for the lease and operation of audio-visual equipment at events connected with the EU presidency was maximally 85 million crowns. Eventually, however, the firm sent an invoice for 766 million crowns to the Government Ofice.

Aktualne.cz writes that the flow of money destined for the order was dubious. Promopro hired other firms that in fact did work for less money.

($1=17.697 crowns)