ČSSD: Defense Ministry should join Parkanová's criminal prosecution

Prague, July 26 (CTK) - The Czech Defence Ministry should join the criminal prosecution of its former head Vlasta Parkanova (TOP 09) over the controversial purchase of CASA aircraft as it is the harmed party, Jan Hamacek, defence expert of the opposition Social Democrats (CSSD), said yesterday.

The Defence Ministry is considering joining the prosecution, its spokesman Jan Pejsek indicated.

Pejsek told CTK that the ministry wanted to read the police file on the case but it had not been allowed to do so until now.

Former minister Parkanova has been accused of breach of trust and abuse of power. The police say she did not have an expert opinion on the planes' price worked out. Parkanova argued she had no duty to order a price estimate.

According to the police, the CASAs were overpriced by 658 million crowns.

The anti-corruption police also accused Jiri Stanek, former head of the ministry's armament section, within the CASA case.

Hamacek said Defence Minister Alexandr Vondra (Civic Democrats, ODS) should stop hesitating and make his ministry join the prosecution as the harmed party.

The Defence Ministry bought the CASA transport planes to replace the outdated Soviet-made Antonovs. However, the CASA suffered from some defects, for instance of the navigation and communication systems.

The Spanish EADS consortium, the producer of the CASAs, will return one of the five Czech-made L-159 subsonic fighters that were swapped for one CASA plane, on Monday as a compensation for shortcomings.

($1=21.061 crowns)