Prague, March 7 (CTK) – A military intelligence officer was detained near a villa in Prague-Dejvice used by Czech Interior Minister Milan Chovanec (Social Democrats, CSSD) when he was photographing its surroundings last week, the Seznam Zpravy server reported today.
Defence Minister Martin Stropnicky (ANO) called the speculations about the military intelligence service shadowing Chovanec absurd.
“According to unofficial information, military intelligence officers were supposed to be interested in another building, situated a few streets farther. However, people from Chovanec’s circles do not believe this,” the server writes.
The incident might escalate into a serious dispute in the government coalition.
The Interior Ministry spokeswoman refused to comment on the server’s information about security guards having detained the suspicious man outside Chovanec’s villa.
In connection with this case, Stropnicky told the media that the military intelligence service was fulfilling its legal tasks in Prague 6 for which its officers had all necessary permits.
“The speculations about the military intelligence shadowing Chovanec are absurd,” he pointed out.
Stropnicky said he perceived this report as an effort to promote Chovanec in the media before the weekend’s CSSD election congress. Chovanec will be defending his post of CSSD first deputy chairman at the congress.
“Despite that I have initiated a meeting of the lower house commission supervising the military intelligence to investigate this media-covered ‘incident,'” Stropnicky added.
