Prague, Dec 18 (CTK) – Petr Dohnal, who was dismissed as Czech Prison Service head in April 2014, is the service´s director general now and the post of the later appointed chief Pavel Ondrasek ceases to exist, Justice Minister Robert Pelikan (ANO) said Friday.
He was reacting to a court verdict that cancelled the administrative decision by former justice minister Helena Valkova (ANO) and his dismissal of Dohnal.
Valkova said she respects the verdict, but added that she insists on her decision.
“We have received a decision of the Municipal Court in Prague cancelling the decision of former minister Helena Valkova dismissing Brigadier General Dohnal. Since the decision becomes effective at the moment of delivery, General Dohnal is Director General of the Prison Service now,” Pelikan said.
He will meet Dohnal and probably also Ondracek on Monday.
The court justified its verdict, saying the justice minister does not have the power to dismiss the Prison Service director general based on its loose consideration, but exclusively for reasons listed in the relevant law, which was not the case in relation to Dohnal.
According to the verdict, the justice minister is to pay Dohnal over 15,000 crowns in court fees. The verdict is valid. It is only possible to file a cassation complaint with the Supreme Administrative Court.
“I definitively want to assume my lawful post of director general, but we will talk about my further activity with the minister,” Dohnal told public Czech Television (CT).
Pelikan said he must consider and analyse the situation before he makes a decision.
Valkova, Pelikan´s predecessor, dismissed Dohnal for loss of trust and over alleged problems in financial management in April 2014, but he filed a remonstrance against the decision.
Valkova interrupted the remonstrance proceedings in July until the General Inspection of Security Corps (GIBS) investigates an allegedly overpriced contract signed under Dohnal.
In the meantime, Dohnal succeeded with an action for protection against an administrative body´s inactivity, with which the Prague Municipal Court complied in May. Based on the court´s verdict, Pelikan had to make a decision within 30 days of the delivery of the verdict. At the end of June, Pelikan dismissed Dohnal´s remonstrance and so confirmed his dismissal.
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