Prague, May 2 (CTK) – The Czech Social Democratic Party (CSSD) announced that it paid six million crowns to a tax office on Monday on behalf of its former lawyer Zdenek Altner, whom it must pay 338 million crowns for his legal services according to a valid court verdict issued a month ago.
Until now, the CSSD headed by Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka has paid about 8.4 million crowns to Altner’s creditors.
The CSSD has chosen the strategy to cover his debts that are claimed in distraint proceedings first. Some experts say the CSSD acts at variance with the valid verdict when it is unwilling to pay Altner.
Altner filed a distraint petition against the CSSD.
Last week, the Arca Capital group of Slovak billionaire Pavol Krupa showed interest in buying the financial claim from Altner. Altner does not want to sell the CSSD debt now.
Transparency International Czech branch head David Ondracka said he considers the possible sale of the debt a risk.
He said it would be terrible if Krupa was able to blackmail the CSSD. “They (Social Democrats) rule the country, they rule in the regions and towns. They must not let it get so far, they must deal with it,” Ondracka told CTK.
The CSSD filed a petition for an appellate review with the Supreme Court and asked for an adjournment of the enforcement of the verdict of the Prague Municipal Court.
Altner helped the CSSD successfully defend its ownership of its Lidovy dum headquarters in Prague centre in the late 1990s. The contract from 1997 granted him a contractual reward worth 10 percent of the lucrative real estate’s value if he succeeded in pushing through the party’s claim to it.
The Prague Municipal Court recently ruled that the Social Democrats must pay 18.5 million to Altner for his services in the dispute about the party’s former seat plus a contractual fine of 318 million for a 5734-day delay.
