ČT: Military plans another overpriced purchase

Prague, April 6 (CTK) - The Czech military plans to buy 12 Tatra service vehicles for repairs and salvage of Pandur armoured vehicles and price of the purchase seems unreasonably high to some experts, Czech Television (CT) reported yesterday.

The Military Repair Enterprise (VOP) offers one such Tatra vehicle for 50 million crowns.

The Defence Ministry started negotiating about the purchase in late 2009 when Martin Bartak was minister.

VOP director Adolf Vejmirovsky said the price is based on a thorough analysis.

But Stanislav Beranek, from the Transparency International anti-corruption watchdog, said the price seems unreasonably high.

Beranek said an identical vehicle for firefighters can be bought for about seven million crowns. The military wants the same vehicle, only with armouring.

The ministry considers the price too high, too.

"The military will not accept the price that the VOP has offered," the ministry's spokesman Jan Pejsek said.

Pejsek added the ministry would negotiate with the VOP about the price.

($1=17.250 crowns)