Právo: ODS clearly connected with accused lobbyist Dalík

Prague, Oct 9 (CTK) - The current leaders of the Civic Democratic Party (ODS) claim that they have nothing to do with lobbyist Marek Dalik accused of attempted fraud, which is in fact true, but Dalik was closely connected with the ODS, Alexandr Mitrofanov writes in Pravo daily Tuesday.

Dalik, 37, was a close aide to former prime minister (2006-2009) and ODS leader Mirek Topolanek. He never occupied any post in the party.

Czech police arrested Dalik on Sunday night in relation to a purchase of Pandur armoured vehicles. He allegedly asked for a bribe of 18 million euros in exchange for influencing the deal.

Mitrofanov says Topolanek is the only person who has been siding with Dalik.

All other Czech politicians, assistants and lobbyists clearly dislike Dalik, saying he was insolent in talks on mediating various deals. These people feel either envy, aversion, contempt or hatred to him, he writes.

The current ODS leadership argues that Dalik was only a close friend of Topolanek and has nothing in common with the present party, Mitrofanov notes.

Present Prime Minister and ODS head Petr Necas in fact won his posts since he became the leader of those who ousted Topolanek from the ODS helm because of his bad reputation in early 2010, he says.

But Dalik is clearly identified with the ODS and the citizens will connect his corruption case with this party, Mitrofanov writes.

TOP 09, the ODS's junior partner in the government, was relieved to point out on Monday that it had no links to Dalik, having a lot of its own trouble, Mitrofanov writes, hinting at the planned resignation of Labour minister Jaromir Drabek (TOP 09) over alleged corruption of his deputy, among others.

Mitrofanov says the ODS made the thirst for the highest profit possible gained at nearly any cost one of its key principles and Dalik fit in this well.

Though the news of Dalik's arrest was such a powerful bomb that a similar one has not exploded in the Czech Republic for years and its fragments fell far away, the Dalik case probably will not influence the weekend elections to the regional assemblies and the Senate because people have already decided whether to support the right-wing government parties or the left-wing opposition, Mitrofanov concludes.