Secret Information Service (BIS) will be asked to cover a case from the business sphere. Parliament called on it to check those interested in buying the bankrupt glassworks Sklo Bohemia in Světlá nad Sázavou. MPs expressed concern that those interested in buying include also those who brought the glassworks to bankruptcy. “There is a well-grounded evidence that the thief might get the money back and the only outcome would be that people will lose jobs,” said Cyril Svoboda, KDU-ČSL leader.
Vivaria company submitted the highest offer of CZK 160 million in the glassworks’ bid. According to the speculation, Lubor Červa from Vivaria, is connected to Radovan Květa and Jan Souček, who held a decisive share in the bankrupt Bohemia Crystalex Trading that also included Sklo Bohemia.
Vivaria increased its offer after the official deadline for submission. Before the Vivaria increase, the bid would have been won by Crystalex Bohemian Company of Jiří Hudera with CZK 152 million offer. “We had it confirmed that ours was to be the final offer,” said Hudera who promised to renew the production in the glassworks.
Hudera said that the bankruptcy administrator Helena Horová phoned all of those interested after the deadline to see if any of them would like to increase their offer. Vivaria offered CZK 160 million and Horová unexpectedly announced their victory. Administrator rejected any mistake. “Conditions of the competition state that based on the debtors instructions we should bid for the price until the very end. Mister Hudera increased the offer by less and lost,” Horová told Hospodářské noviny. She refuses to discuss the case further. “I am only accountable for to the court and debtors,” she said. Hudera, who is also member of the ODS Světlá nad Sázavou leadership, turned to MPs who agreed to look into the fast change of the winner and the background of individual bidders.
Lubor Červa rejects any connection to the former owners of the glassworks’ group. He also claims he got the money he plans to invest into the glassworks, through his previous business activities and that he can prove it. “I have my own resources and there is no doubt about it. It is legal, clean money so why should I need anyone else,” Červa said.
It is difficult, however, to find out details about Vivaria from public sources. Business register does not hold any documentation of company’s finances since its establishment in 2000. The only document available is from last year and claims that Vivaria extends its activities to wood processing. Documents about the other two Červa’s companies are also unavailable.
Glassworks of Světlá nad Sázavou was employing more than 1,200 people until last autumn and went bankrupt due to excessive debts. Debtors claims reached more than CZK 6 billion. Citibank Europe claims the highest sum of CZK 2.7 billion. Sklo Bohemia assets are estimated at CZK 1.374 billion.
