Pilot arrested in CASA corruption case

Prague, July 17 (CTK) - The Prague police accused yesterday the detained Karel Danhel, an important witness in the case of CASA military planes, of the criminal deed of sexual abuse, police spokesman Tomas Hulan has told CTK, adding that Danhel faces up to ten years in prison if found guilty.

"We know about his detention, but the military can react only after receiving an official report on the investigation," Mira Trebicka, form the general staff, told CTK earlier yesterday.

Detectives detained the 41-year-old Danhel on the basis of a state attorney's consent as he is suspected of a delict against morals, Hulan said.

The investigation has just begun, he added, without elaborating.

Lieutenant colonel Danhel, expert in military equipment, used to prepare expert documentation on the purchase of the CASA transport planes at the General Staff.

Later he was stripped of his security vetting for the confidential level and he was suspended. He said the reason was his testimony on the CASA case for the police.

Ondrej Palenik, head of the Military Intelligence (VZ) service, questioned Danhel's trustworthiness as a witness in the case last week.

Palenik allegedly acquainted members of the Chamber of Deputies commission monitoring the VZ with recordings that proved Danhel had received money from Omnipol every month.

Omnipol firm, which mediated the CASA deal, denies this.

The police want to prosecute former defence minister Vlasta Parkanova (TOP 09) in connection with the purchase of the CASAs that was allegedly overpriced by 658 million crowns. The police say Parkanova did not have an expert opinion on the planes' price worked out.

The Chamber of Deputies complied with the police request and released Parkanova for criminal prosecution last Wednesday.

Parkanova claims she did not make any mistake in the CASA case as she was not obliged to have an expert opinion worked out.

($1=20.848 crowns)