Brno, Jan 28 (CTK) – Shahram Abdullah Zadeh, an Iranian businessman with Czech citizenship who faces 13 years in prison for a huge tax evasion, deposited 150 million crowns to the account of the Brno Regional Court on Monday, but he has not been released from custody yet, his lawyer Petr Koci said yesterday.
As far as known, this has been the highest bail that a court set in the Czech Republic.
Zadeh has spent in pre-trial detention 22 months so far. It is not known when he would be released. His lawyers say the court should do so as soon as possible. At least 65 firms were involved in the frauds.
According to the prosecution, Zadeh was the chief organiser of a 2.5 billion-crown fraud linked to the imports of fuels from Slovenia and Germany.
Last April, Zadeh unsuccessfully applied for release from custody, having offered a bail of 80 million crowns. The courts turned his request down saying he might escape.
In October 2015, the court set the bail at 100 million crowns and Zadeh complained against the sum.
Last week, the court adjourned the beginning of the trial for a third time, due to the absence of two defence lawyers, and it set the bail of 150 million for Zadeh.
Zadeh had ten days to pay the bail.
Fifteen people have been charged with tax evasion and organised crime within the case.
The trial was originally to start last November. It was adjourned twice before. Each time, a defence lawyer excused himself from court.
($1=24.820 crowns)
