ČT: Czech intelligence head tried to discredit defence minister

Prague, Feb 9 (CTK) - The Czech Military Intelligence (VZ) distributed documents that were to discredit defence minister Vlasta Parkanova and two of her deputies in 2007 and then VZ chief Miroslav Krejcik masterminded this operation, the public Czech Television (CT) reported Wednesday.

Krejcik dismissed the information.

CT received a confidential report, worked out by Krejcik's subordinates without his knowledge, from Defence Minister Alexandr Vondra (Civic Democrats, ODS).

Krejcik was recently released from the obligation to maintain confidentiality so that he may speak about controversial military orders before a lower house committee.

Vondra previously allowed Krejcik to give testimony within the case of alleged corruption in the purchase of Tatra lorries for the Czech military before the anti-corruption police.

Last week, Krejcik filed a criminal complaint over a document that led to his departure from the post of VZ director four years ago.

Krejcik left the post in May 2007, officially at his own request. According to unofficial information, he had long discords with Parkanova (Christian Democrats, KDU-CSL, now TOP 09), who allegedly proposed that the government dismiss him.

Citing the classified report, CT said Krejcik ordered to expediently provide VZ's information to unauthorised persons from the management of the Defence Ministry in order to dicredit senior ministry officials Jaroslav Kopriva and Radek Smerda via their colleagues Martin Bartak and Jan Fulik.

All four above officials were mentioned in relation to suspicious military orders.

Former minister Bartak is suspected of corruption in the Tatra lorry case. Last autumn, Vondra dismissed both Kopriva and Fulik who were both deputy defence ministers. Kopriva was sacked over an alleged kickback for a planned order for mortars, Fulik in connection with the apparently overpriced purchase of CASA transport planes.

According to the report released by CT, Krejcik released information about possible bribery in 2004, related to the exaction of the debt Russia was to pay to the Czech Republic, to discredit then defence deputy minister Kopriva.

Krejcik allegedly provided information to the National Security Office and the BIS counter-intelligence, which could have led to defence deputy minister Smerda being stripped of his security vetting.

"This steps were taken in order to discredit the defence minister (Parkanova) as part of the VZ head's fight against her," according to the report cited by CT.

The report claims that Krejcik refused to fulfil tasks ordered by Parkanova, arguing that she is not his boss.

The report that Vondra handed to CT enabled Parkanova to dismiss Krejcik as VZ director. Parkanova submitted the report to other cabinet ministers then.

"I could not tolerate such a situation. A secret service cannot get involved in power struggles between groups that fight against one another," Parkanova told CT.

Vondra supported her stance. "The military intelligence should not get involved in any internal disputes," he said.

Krejcik claims that he did not do anything that would harm the Czech state. "The information is untrue," he said about the report.