MfD: Businessman Dráb to help pay Fischer's campaign debt

Prague, March 1 (CTK) - Businessman Ladislav Drab, co-owner of the CE group energy group, will help repay the debt arising from Jan Fischer's presidential campaign in January, daily Mlada fronta Dnes (MfD) writes Friday.

Drab, an acquaintance of Fischer, told the paper that he also wants to negotiate with the creditors.

"I will address some more people and we will financially help Jan Fischer so that he can cover the debt. The creditors can surely be still talked to," Drab said.

He said he has decided to help Fischer because he regrets the latter's situation after his failure in the presidential contest.

Fischer owes seven to eight million crowns in connection with the campaign, MfD writes.

Fischer, former head of the Czech interim cabinet of unaffiliated experts, was a favourite of the direct presidential election. However, he surprisingly failed to advance to the runoff vote, in which former social democrat PM Milos Zeman eventually defeated Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg (TOP 09).

Last autumn, Fischer gave up his post of European Bank for Reconstruction and Development vice-president in order to fully focus on the presidential campaign.

Last week Fischer indicated that the debt will be paid for him by Prague entrepreneur Tamir Winterstein, but it eventually turned out that Winterstein wants to help Fischer solve the problem but not financially.

Entrepreneur Tomas Chrenek, the biggest sponsor of Fischer's campaign, also previously refused to cover Fischer's debt.

Fischer is now on a holiday in the USA where he met Drab, the daily writes.