Prague, Aug 18 (CTK) – The Czech parliamentary commission investigating the recent merger of the anti-mafia and anti-corruption police squads heard one of the merger’s critics, former anti-mafia squad’s detective Jiri Komarek, yesterday, the commission’s head Pavel Blazek told journalists.
Komarek told the lower house commission one third of what he wanted to tell, he said.
Blazek said he expected that the hearing of Komarek will last several more hours. He said Komarek spoke in a matter-of-fact way.
Komarek’s hearing will continue on September 8.
Komarek previously accused Police President Tomas Tuhy of a brutal leak of information. Tuhy dismissed this again yesterday.
Tuhy said the idea that information from police investigation leaked from a phone that had been used by his family was absolute nonsense.
Komarek and former anti-mafia police chief Robert Slachta claim that the main aim of the merger is to get all detectives under the control of the police managers. Slachta was already heard by the commission.
Tuhy was questioned by the investigation commission yesterday as well. He insisted that there was good reason for the police shake-up.
The National Centre against Organised Crime (NCOZ), in which the anti-mafia and anti-corruption squads merged, started operating on August 1. Tuhy said the NCOZ has already been functioning without any problems.
Blazek said Tuhy answered all the questions and did not avoid anything. Tuhy presented his view that differed from some other views, said Blazek who seemed to be hinting at Slachta and Komarek.
Blazek said Komarek commented on the police documents submitted to the commission that allegedly prove his suspicions.
Blazek said this commission decided that the report will not be released. “The reasons are purely formally legal, not political,” he said.
Tuhy said the documents concerned cases that are still under investigation.
On August 31, the lower house commission will talk to Supreme State Attorney Pavel Zeman, Olomouc Deputy High State Attorney Pavel Komar and Prague High State Attorney Lenka Bradacova. The attorneys have been highly critical of the police merger.
