Prague, Aug 1 (CTK) – The Regional Court in Prague has ordered new proceedings in the corruption case of former influential politician David Rath that will start on October 23 after the the Supreme Court ruled that wiretapping recordings can be used as evidence, CTK has found out in the judiciary database.
The case will return to the Central Bohemia Regional Court that has scheduled the new trial for 18 days so far.
In July 2015, this court sentenced Rath, 51, former Social Democrat (CSSD) lawmaker (2006-2012), Central Bohemia governor (2008-2012) and health minister (2005-2006), to 8.5 years in prison and the forfeiture of some 20 million crowns for taking bribes worth millions of crowns linked to the manipulated public orders in the region.
However, the Prague High Court cancelled the verdict in the case of Rath and other ten people due to the unlawful use of wiretappings last autumn and returned the case to the Regional Court for reappraisal.
In the meantime, Justice Minister Robert Pelikan (ANO) filed a complaint against the High Court’s decision with the Supreme Court. It decided in June that the High Court had breached the law to the benefit of the defendants and that wiretappings can be used in the Rath case.
($1=22.240 crowns)
