Police renew check of suspicious solar plant purchase

Prague, March 3 (CTK) - The Czech anti-corruption police are again investigating the circumstances of a purchase of solar power plants by the CEZ majority energy utility from the Amun.Re firm, their spokesman Jaroslav Ibehej told CTK Sunday.

Finance Minister Miroslav Kalousek (TOP 09) told Czech Television (CT) earlier Sunday he is "deeply shocked" that the police shelved the case, although they had received "disturbing" and detailed information from the Finance Ministry's financial and analytical section (FAU).

Ibehej said the case was reopened at the end of 2012.

CEZ bought huge solar parks near Ralsko and Mimon in northern Bohemia from Amun.Re for five billion crowns.

CEZ did not react to Kalousek's words.

"We will not comment on it at all," CEZ spokeswoman Barbora Pulpanova told CTK.

Media speculated that Amun.Re might be owned by influential lobbyists as its owners are unknown. According to CT, lawyers from the former Sachta & Partners law office might be behind the company.

Ibehej said the police intensively dealt with the case for six months and in January 2012 they shelved it. The anti-corruption police chiefs later checked the case and decided to reopen it, he added.

He said the police are considering launching criminal prosecution, which would mean that a state attorney would supervise the case.

CEZ bought solar power plants from several investors. Media challenged some of the purchases.

According to some sources, CEZ is the biggest recipient of the money that households and firms pay to contribute to the subsidies of renewable energy sources, which led to a boom of solar panels in 2009-10.

The Czech Energy Regulatory Office (ERU) has been subject to investigation concerning purchasing prices of electricity from solar plants. The prices were allegedly wrongly set, guaranteeing high profits for photovoltaic power station operators.