PM backs police chief who accused Kalousek of lobbying him

Prague, July 12 (CTK) - Czech Prime Minister Petr Necas yesterday said he considers very serious Police President Petr Lessy's words about Finance Minister Miroslav Kalousek trying to intimidate him by phone a week ago and that he does not doubt that Lessy can submit evidence to prove his assertion.

Necas (Civic Democrats, ODS) also said Lessy is undoubtedly able to explain why he did not report so serious an incident to his superior, i.e. Interior Minister Jan Kubice, and to Necas himself.

"He is undoubtedly able to explain why he has come up with the affair only after a week. I suppose that the case will be cleared up by the General Inspection of Security Forces (GIBS)," Necas told the media.

He reacted to statements Lessy made at a meeting of the Chamber of Deputies' security committee earlier yesterday. Lessy told the committee that Kalousek, junior ruling TOP 09 deputy chairman, phoned him over the case of the controversial purchase of the CASA planes for the Czech military.

In the past weeks, Kalousek vehemently stood up in defence of TOP 09 MP and former defence minister Vlasta Parkanova whom the police wanted to be released for prosecution over the CASA deal.

The Chamber of Deputies stripped Parkanova of immunity and released her on Wednesday.

Lessy said in the phone call on July 4, Kalousek reproached him for the steps police had taken in the CASA case. Lessy said he considered some of Kalousek's statements an attempt to intimidate the police investigators dealing with the CASA case.

In further phone calls to Lessy, all of them taking place in an hour on July 4, Kalousek apologised to him.

Lessy said he did not record the phone conversations with Kalousek.

Reacting to Lessy later yesterday, Kalousek said Lessy should immediately submit evidence to prove his statements about Kalousek intimidating the police. If such evidence is published, Kalousek said he would leave his posts and withdraw from public life. In the opposite case, Lessy should immediately step down as police president, Kalousek said.

On July 2, Necas rebuked Kalousek for his previous phone conversation with the investigator into the CASA affair. The police officer then reported the phone call to his superiors and said he felt being intimidated.

Necas called Kalousek's step unacceptable and told the members of his cabinet that he would not like anything similar to repeat, "not the slightest hint of it."

At a press conference on July 4, Necas said the minister concerned could be dismissed if a similar case repeated and if it raised substantiated doubts.