Prague, June 9 (CTK) – The broad command of the Squad for Uncovering Organised Crime (UOOZ) has sent an open letter to Czech Interior Minister Milan Chovanec (Social Democrats, CSSD), asking him to discontinue its prepared overhaul, UOOZ spokesman Pavel Hantak told journalists yesterday.
The signatories of the letter do not trust the overhaul concept, fearing that it may basically affect ongoing criminal investigations, Hantak said about the letter he passed to CTK.
It was signed by 17 directors of UOOZ departments.
Earlier yesterday, UOOZ representatives took part in the talks with the police command, but they were not convinced about the preparedness of all the changes.
“The police command was unable to reply specific questions relating to the basic operation of the new police body to be established on July 1, 2016,” the letter said.
“We only received one, constantly repeated reply to all our questions, that an unspecific preparatory committee will deal with everything,” the letter said.
The overhaul is illogical and is threatening the police work, it added.
“Given the circumstances, we do not trust the concept and we do not trust the arguments of the police command that its intentions are purely motivated by an effort to improve the police work in the sphere of struggle with organised crime,” the letter said.
Some members of the UOOZ board, including its director Robert Slachta, said they would the service over the prepared overhaul.
The police command wants to build a single National Centre against Organised Crime (NCOZ) that is newly to be comprised of the UOOZ and the Office for Uncovering of Corruption and Financial Crime (UOKFK).
The police command wants to build the NCOZ as a body with with five special departments dealing with organised crime, terrorism, cyber crime, most serious economic crime and corruption, headed by a single director.
The plans have caused disputes in the coalition government and between state attorneys. Critics say the changes might affect the investigation into some complicated cases.
Prague High State Attorney Lenka Bradacova and Olomouc High State Attorney Ivo Istvan have said they were very concerned over the decision of Slachta and other senior police officers..
Bradacova and Istvan have often collaborated with Slachta in many high-profile corruption cases.
