Minister: ČT showed document that was not declassified

Prague, March 13 (CTK) - The Czech Television (CT) public broadcaster showed a copy of a version of a document that was not declassified and that leaked from the Defence Ministry, Defence Minister Alexandr Vondra (Civic Democrats, ODS) said in Questions of Vaclav Moravec on CT Sunday.

He was reacting to a raid by about ten masked and armed military police (VP) members on the seat of the CT news on Friday evening.

According to previous information, the document alerted to that the Military Intelligence (VZ) was probably distributing in 2007 material aimed to discredit then defence minister Vlasta Prakanova's deputies.

The whole thing was allegedly masterminded by then VZ chief Miroslav Krejcik, but he has denied this and filed a criminal complaint against an unknown perpetrator in the past already. Krejcik had to leave the post over the affair.

Vondra said on CT Sunday it is necessary to investigate who took the document out from the ministry at the time when it was classified.

He repeated his stand that the way the military police used to enter the CT building on Friday is unacceptable.

The military police issued a statement tonight saying the challenging of the legality of the check at CT is inadmissible.

At the same time, however, the VP admitted that the adequacy of the action can be rightfully doubted.

"The military police, in spite of the justified doubts about the adequacy of the deployment of members of the intervention department at Czech Television, insist on the legality and legal purity of the acts the military police carried out on the order of a judge," VP spokesman Jan Cermak told CTK.

Vondra said on CT Sunday the document about which CT broadcast a reportage was declassified. "Nevertheless, the version that was shown on the screen was a version that was not demonstrably declassified," he said.

"With view to how it looked, there is a justified suspicion, but practically certainty, that it was a version that leaked at a time when it was confidential," Vondra said.

He said a declassified document differs, for instance, by that the word "confidential" is crossed out. It also has a bar code, which the copy shown on the TV screen did not have.

Vondra said the investigation does not aim at journalists, but he added that such a leak of a secret document "cannot remain uninvestigated."

Vondra said in his capacity as a politician he must not and will not intervene in the investigation.

He said the raid was "a stupid demonstration of force that is undefendable."

He said, however, the check of the CT premises took place on the basis of a court permit.

Vondra said the court as well as the state attorney pointed to that CT hindered the handing out of the document on Thursday.

He suspended the responsible VP representatives during the night to Saturday already. He said the action was a managerial failure of the VP chief, Vladimir Lozek, who allegedly did not know about the form of the action.

Vondra refused to talk about his own resignation for which certain opposition politicians have called.

He said the case shows that the VP probably needs to be reformed. He said he will mainly consider stricter control of the VP in the field of investigation.

Pavel Kovacik, chairman of the Communist (KSCM) deputy group, said on CT Sunday the action was a gangster-like raid.

"The government should resign over it," he said.

Kovacik said unless the matter is sufficiently explained, the opposition should consider initiating a vote of no confidence in the government.

He said similar intimidation of media criticism could continue.

"The military police considers it inadmissible to exert pressure on a police body through challenging the legality of the check carried out at Czech Television," Cermak said.

He said the VP carried out its duties under law.

"The procedure of the police body, including the inappropriate deployment of forces and means, will be checked. The military police will also wait for the result of the examination of the criminal complaint filed by Czech Television. It will take further measures on the basis of the results," he added.

Transport Minister Vit Barta, a leader of the junior government Public Affairs (VV), said on CT the action testifies minimally to "officers' illiteracy."

He said the last time a similar thing happened was in 1968 when Soviet-led Warsaw Pact troops invaded then Czechoslovakia.

Petr Skokan (VV), deputy chairman of the Chamber of Deputies committee whose agenda includes media, told CTK the action was an expression of "effort to intimidate journalists and of a power struggle at the Defence Ministry."