Prague, Feb 10 (CTK) – TOP 09 may file a complaint over treason against President Milos Zeman as he confirmed the ransom paid for two Czech women kidnapped in Pakistan and later released if he does not step down himself, opposition TOP 09 first deputy chairman Marek Zenisek told journalists on Wednesday.
Zenisek said he was already collecting signatures for the complaint.
“Zeman has set in motion another round of a reality show with the information that should stay secret playing the lead role,” he added.
“In my view, he quite deliberately threatens the Czech Republic’s security,” he added.
Earlier on Wednesday, Zeman confirmed that the Czech Republic paid a ransom worth the equivalent of some 150 million crowns for the two women.
The Czechs were released home after two years last March.
Weekly Respekt has written that the Czech Republic paid six million dollars for them. The leak of the information aroused a strong criticism of the secret services and top politicians because similar information is not usually published.
Petr Fiala, leader of the opposition Civic Democratic Party (ODS), said Zeman’s words were horrifying and unexcusable.
A president should behave responsibly and realise that he must not say such things. Or else, he threatens Czechs’ security abroad, Fiala said.
By admitting the ransom, the head of state may encourage further abductions of Czech citizens, he addeed.
Like the government of Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka (Social Democrats, CSSD), Zeman fails in foreign political and security questions, Fiala said.
Sobotka said the statements in the sphere of national security would help noing and no one.
“I am of the view that politicians should deal with problems, not comment on them in the way that will not help anyone or anything in the sphere of national security,” Sobotka said.
Deputy Prime Minister Pavel Belobradek, leader of the Christian Democrats (KDU-CSL), a minor coalition government member, said the situations where politicians commented on classified information were unusual and unfortunate.
Belobradek said on Wednesday the information on the ransom, first carried by the weekly Respekt, was wrong.
Foreign Minister Lubomir Zaoralek (CSSD) said politicians should stop commenting on the cases of kidnapped Czechs.
“I think that any step aside may be dangerous in such a situation,” he added during his visit to Macedonia.
Justice Minister Robert Pelikan (ANO) told public Czech Television (CT) that it would not have been all right if the president or any other senior official had confirmed information about ransom paid for kidnapped citizens of the Czech Republic.
“However, I have understood that this was not the case,” Pelikan said, adding that Zeman commented on the case in general terms.
It is sufficient that Belobradek has denied the information and the prime minister need not correct it, Pelikan added.
