Prague, April 18 (CTK) – The Prague 1 Court rejected on Monday the demand of Zdenek Altner, former lawyer of the senior government Social Democrats (CSSD), to block its accounts, Jiri Chvojka, media representative of the party’s law office, told CTK on Monday.
He said the court did so for formal reasons because Altner did not pay a security.
The information was confirmed by the court’s spokeswoman Alena Novotna for Aktualne.cz.
However, Altner told Cesky rozhlas (CRo) that he paid the security of 10,000 crowns on Monday and that the court made an early decision.
He said the court sets a one-day deadline for paying the security.
The CSSD is as yet reluctant to pay Altner 337 million crowns which a court ordered it in a valid verdict recently.
“The CSSD insists on that no condition allowing the issuing of a preliminary injunction relates to the current dispute because the verdict is enforceable at the moment and there is no obstacle that would prevent Mr Altner from seeking its enforcement,” Chvojka said.
“At the same time, the CSSD clearly states that it has enough means to fulfil the duty according to the verdict thanks to a loan it has taken out,” Chvojka said.
“That is why we welcomed the court’s decision,” he said and repeated that about 20 creditors of Altner turned to the CSSD with their claims totalling about 20 million crowns.
Altner’s son Patrik told Aktualne.cz that the court security of 10,000 crowns, including the court fee, “was paid in the course of Monday. It will definitely be explained,” the server quoted Parik Altner as saying.
Novotná told CTK earlier on Monday that the court may issue a preliminary injunction banning parties from handling their property, mainly if the enforcement of a court verdict were threatened.
However, the CSSD’s lawyers said the condition that the enforcement of the verdict could be threatened is not met.
Altner sent his request for blocking the CSSD’s account on Friday evening. The court had seven days to tackle the preliminary injunction proposal.
Altner, who represented the CSSD in its dispute for the ownership of Lidovy dum, its seat in Prague centre, recently won a dragged-out lawsuit with the CSSD.
The court decided that the CSSD must pay him 18.5 million crowns for his representing it in the late 1990s plus a contractual fine worth 318 million.
The three-day deadline by which the CSSD was to pay Altner expired at midnight on Thursday. The party said it will not send the money to Altner for the time being and will first meet the claims of his creditors.
It said it will file a petition for an appellate review with the Supreme Court (NS) and ask for an adjournment of the enforcement of the verdict.
The CSSD says it is afraid that if it transferred the money to Altner’s Swiss account, it would lose it irreversibly even if the NS later found its claim justified, partly at least.
