Brno, Jan 19 (CTK) – The beginning of a trial of a 15-member group allegedly organised by Iranian businessman with Czech citizenship Shahram Abdullah Zadeh charged with a huge tax evasion was adjourned for a third time yesterday and the court decided to release him from custody on 150 million crown bail.
The trial did not start due to the absence of two defence lawyers.
The court put the damage caused at 2.5 billion crowns. The charged persons face up to 13 years in prison if found guilty.
The bail is probably the highest imposed by court in the Czech Republic, state attorney Ales Sosik said.
Zadeh is to pay the money within ten days. He has three days to file a complaint against yesterday´s decision with the High Court in Olomouc, north Moravia.
Zadeh´s defence lawyer Pavel Capcuch told CTK that he has to consult his client, saying the Brno Regional Court set the bail at 100 million crowns some time ago.
The case went then to the High Court that abolished the verdict, saying the bail should be higher.
Zadeh has been in custody because it was feared that he might flee if released.
The trial was to start in November first. It was adjourned until early January and eventually until yesterday. Each time, a defence lawyer excused himself from court.
Ales Novotny, chairman of the penal panel of the Brno Regional Court, threatened to file a complaint against the lawyer with the Czech Bar Association and adjourned the beginning of the trial until January 26.
Zadeh is suspected of having organised frauds with fuels in 2012-13.
Capcuch says he dismisses any wrongdoing and that Zadeh only lent money to businesspeople and wanted it to be returned to him later.
The prosecuted persons have been charged with tax evasion and participation in an organised criminal group. They allegedly imported hundreds of millions of litres of fuel from Slovenia and Germany and cheated the state with false tax returns.
At least 65 business companies participated in the criminal activities according to the indictment.
Yesterday´s hearing also saw a dispute about whether the interpreter from Persian, Nasim Shakery, is authorised to translate for Zadeh.
The interpreter knows Afghan Persian, while Zadeh speaks Iranian Persian. The court rejected the defence lawyers´ objections.
($1=24.821 crowns)
