Prague, Feb 28 (CTK) – The General Inspection of Security Corps (GIBS) has accused former Czech detective Jiri Komarek of abuse of power since he violated the duty of confidentiality and unbiased behaviour embedded in the police law, state attorney Pavel Prygl said yesterday.
Komarek faces up to five years in prison or ban on professional activity.
Public Czech Radio has reported, referring to its security sources, that Komarek violated the duty by publicly spoke about Police President Tomas Tuhy being suspected of a “brutal information leak.”
Komarek, who worked with the elite organised crime squad (UOOZ), was one of the main critics of the police reform, which was based on the merger of the UOOZ and the anti-corruption squads into the National Centre against Organised Crime (NCOZ). He left the police due to the restructuring.
The press has reported that Komarek assumed a post at the Financial Authority operating under the Finance Ministry headed by Andrej Babis (ANO) who also challenged the police overhaul.
Komarek has insisted on his words about Tuhy repeatedly.
Tuhy filed a legal complaint against Komarek on suspicion of abuse of power and slander. However, slander was not proved eventually.
Supreme State Attorney Pavel Zeman’s inspection confirmed that the investigation into the information leak was in order.
Komarek left the police corps last year along with his former superior, UOOZ chief Robert Slachta. They claimed that the police reform was expedient.
A lower house commission looked into their suspicion. In early February, the commission concluded that the police reform had not been aimed to remove Slachta, restrict the police squads’ activities or prevent the investigation into certain cases, which its opponents claimed.
However, the commission admitted that the police management, primarily Tuhy and his deputy Zdenek Laube, had seriously underestimated the reform preparation and had not discussed it sufficiently beforehand.
The reform, signed by Interior Minister Milan Chovanec (Social Democrat, CSSD), caused a rift between the major government parties, the CSSD and ANO. Some state attorneys criticised it, too.
