Prague, March 23 (CTK) – Lobbyist Marek Dalik, serving his four-year prison sentence for corruption in the purchase of the Pandur armoured personnel carriers for the Czech military, has proposed that the trial be reopened, Prague Municipal Court spokeswoman Marketa Puci has confirmed to CTK.
Dalik was also fined for million crowns for the crime. He has already paid the sum.
Dalik, who started serving his prison term last September, still pleads not guilty.
“I can confirm that the proposal to renew the court proceedings was delivered to the court on March 17,” Puci said.
She said at the moment, Dalik’s file was with the Supreme Court that will decide on the recourses submitted over the corruption case.
Dalik was an aide to former Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek (Civic Democratic Party, ODS).
According to the indictment, in 2011, Dalik demanded 18 million euros for the continuation of the purchase of Pandurs from the maker of the vehicles, the Austrian firm Steyr. The Czech police started dealing with the case based on the testimony of former Steyr employee Stephan Szcuecs.
Dalik asked for the bribe at an informal meeting in a Prague restaurant in November 2007. He pretended having close ties with representatives of the Czech government and being able to influence their decision-making on the purchase of the military vehicles, which was not true. He eventually did not get any money.
The appeals court has concluded that Dalik was cheating when he pretended being able to influence a state contract.
The purchase of Pandurs worth 20.8 billion crowns was approved by the government of Jiri Paroubek (then Social Democrats, CSSD) in 2006. In late 2007, Topolanek’s government withdrew from the deal over a breach of the contractual conditions by the supplier, Steyr. Half a year later, the government approved a new deal, the purchase of 107 Pandurs worth 14.4 billion crowns.
