Lobbyist Dalík dismisses selling paintings worth CZK 80m

Prague, Oct 29 (CTK) - Czech lobbyist Marek Dalik, accused of fraud linked to the purchase of Pandur APCs for the Czech military, yesterday dismissed media reports that he has sold paintings worth 80 million crowns.

In a statement his defence lawyer sent to CTK, Dalik says he has sold only three of seven paintings he possessed since May. He sold them for seven million crowns.

In April, Dalik and his trade partner bought 14 surrealist paintings by Czech artist Mikulas Medek.

Dalik, 37, is a former close aide to the then prime minister Mirek Topolanek (in office 2006-2009).

The state attorney's office recently proposed that Dalik, detained on suspicion of fraud, be taken into custody also because of his efforts to get rid of his collection of art worth 80 million crowns. The state attorney said he was afraid that Dalik wants to leave the Czech Republic.

The court, however, did not meet the attorney's proposal and released Dalik from detention to be investigated at liberty.

"In fact I drew the court's attention to the sale of paintings quite intentionally, within informing it about my activities in the Czech Republic," Dalik wrote in the statement yesterday,

He said the disclosure of the information may be motivated by someone's effort to have him taken into custody.

Dalik has been prosecuted over the Pandur deal. The police suspect him of asking the Pandur producer, the Austrian company Steyr, for a bribe in 2008. By this he committed fraud since he could not fulfil his promise to influence the deal in favour of Steyr.

He faces up to ten years in prison, if convicted.

According to the police, Dalik did not receive any money.

($1=19.288 crowns)