Prague, Nov 24 (CTK) – State attorney Petr Jirat has appealed the verdict in the corruption case of former regional governor, MP and ex-minister David Rath and Slovak businesswoman Lucia Novanska, public Czech Television (CT) reported yesterday.
Rath was sentenced to 8.5 years in prison and the forfeiture of some 20 million crowns for corruption connected with public orders, and Novanska was given five years in prison and a penalty of 500,000 crowns for organising the manipulated orders, by the regional court in July. Both pleaded not guilty and appealed the verdict.
Rath, a Social Democrat (CSSD) lawmaker (2006-2012), the Central Bohemia governor (2008-2012) and health minister (2005-2006), has been charged with bribery linked to the planned reconstruction of a chateau and the purchase of hospital equipment in the Central Bohemia Region. He was caught red-handed with seven million crowns, a suspected bribe, in a wine box in May 2012 and arrested.
According to the police investigators, Rath asked for over 22 million crowns and received bribes of 16 million.
Jirat told CT that he was satisfied with the court´s verdict finding Rath and Novanska guilty, but he demanded a stricter property forfeiture and ban on professional activities for Rath.
Jirat originally proposed a nine-year prison sentence and a complete property forfeiture for Rath and five years in prison and one-million-crown penalty for Novanska.
The trial of Rath and ten other suspects was divided into two parts.
In April, the Prague Regional Court convicted nine people in the case, including Rath’s close collaborators, Petr Kott and his wife Katerina Kottova (formerly Pancova), who were given 7.5 years in prison. The case of Rath and Novanska was dealt with separately.
The judiciary will have to deal with another branch of the Rath corruption case concerning public orders worth 700 million crowns for the regional hospitals and rescue service. The police proposed that nine individuals and eight firms be charged in this case in the summer.
($1=25.422 crowns)
hol/dr/pv
