Prague, Dec 5 (CTK) – Review of major political events in the Czech Republic in 2016:
JANUARY
5. – Court rules that former director of Sazka company Ales Husak does not have to pay two million crowns to the Czech Sports Union (formerly CSTV) or apologise for harming its good name and that of Czech sport in general.
– Presidential Office head Vratislav Mynar does not succeed with his protest against denial of security vetting he lodged with National Security Office.
6. – Court rejects legal complaint by TOP 09 deputy Michal Kincl against Communist (KSCM) deputy Marta Semelova over what he called her having approved of the execution of democratic politician Milada Horakova in a show trial and of 1968 Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia. Court upheld the decision on October 13.
7. – Court in Ostrava, north Moravia, punishes Petr Kramny with 28 years in prison for murder. He was found guilty of having killed his wife and underage girl with electricity during their holiday in Egypt. High Court upheld the verdict on June 1.
14.- Prague High Court cancels the verdict sending former deputy labour affairs minister Vladimir Siska to seven years in prison and former head of IT department Milan Hojer to six years in prison for blackmailing OKsystem firm.
– Supreme State Attorney’s Office (NSZ) rejects complaints by four defendants in a corruption case in Olomouc, north Moravia. Charges were brought against businessman Ivan Kysely, two senior police officers and Olomouc Regional Governor Jiri Rozboril (CSSD).
15.- Police propose that charges be brought against head of Czech Energy Regulatory Office (ERU) Alena Vitaskova over abuse of power and breach of trust in property administration. The reason was appointment of former supreme state attorney Renata Vesecka as ERU deputy chairwoman.
16.- Petr Fiala defends the post of ODS leader after two years.
21.- Court acquits nurse Vera Maresova charged with killing six patients. Final decision was made on July 26.
22.- MEP Miloslav Ransdorf (62, KSCM) dies.
23.- Greens are newly led by Prague Assembly member and former deputy mayor of Prague Matej Stropnicky.
24.- Plane with first group of ten Christian refugees from Iraq lands in Prague. They were followed by other immigrants in next weeks.
25.- Czech Brigadier General Frantisek Micanek is elected dean of prestigious NATO Defence College in Rome.
26.- Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka says President Milos Zeman’s statement that Kalashnikov was a way in which to get rid of prime minister was silly and useless.
FEBRUARY
1. – Iranian Shahram Abdullah Zadeh, charged with tax evasion worth billions of crowns, leaves detention prison on bail of 150 million crowns. He was immediately detained on the basis of European arrest warrant issued by Iran. Regional Court in Brno decided on February 4 that Zadeh would not be taken into custody.
– Foreign Ministry says five Czechs missing in Lebanon since last year are free. They flew to Prague on February 4.
2. – Lebanese paper L’Orient-Le Jour writes the Czechs were released under a swap within which Lebanese Ali Fayad detained in Czech Republic over terrorism allegations will be released as well.
– Court rules that lobbyist Marek Dalik will go to prison for five years for corruption in the purchase of Pandur armoured personal carriers. On May 31, Prague High Court mitigated the punishment by one year. He must also pay four million crowns.
4. – Court decides to release Lebanese Fayad from custody. Justice Minister Robert Pelikan did not allow his extradition to USA. Decision was sharply criticised by the U.S. embassy.
10.- Zeman confirms that Czech Republic paid ransom for two Czech women kidnapped in Pakistan. The sum may have been about 150 million crowns.
– Zeman pardons man serving his 3-year prison sentence for minor property crime. He already served part of the prison sentence and due to his bad health, he was released to hospital.
11.- Court rules that judge Ondrej Havlin will be sent to five years and three months in prison for corruption and illegal interference in court disputes.
12.- Tomas Holub becomes new bishop in Plzen, replacing Frantisek Radkovsky, who resigned.
– Regional Court in Hradec Kralove, east Bohemia, rules that extradition of Turkish national Nazmi Sahin, wanted by Interpol and Turkey, is inadmissible.
15.- Summit of Visegrad Four (Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary and Poland), Macedonia and Bulgaria. Sobotka said EU should support more Bulgaria and Macedonia in border protection.
22.- Regional Court in Brno sends Vitaskova to 8.5 years to prison for illegally granting licences to two solar power plants in Chomutov, north Bohemia. Ruling has not yet taken effect.
23.- Prague Municipal Court acquits Siska charged with trying to illegally ensure a bid, worth one billion, for checking welfare payment to IBM. Expert Vladimir Smejkal was also acquitted.
24.- Prague City Hall sacks director of a technical school since its three students allegedly harassed female teacher who later died.
25.- Pelikan (ANO) allows extradition of Faouzi Jaber from Ivory Coast to USA. He was accused of collaborating with terrorists along with Ali Fayad and Khalid Marabim, who were not extradited to USA.
– First cases of Zika virus registered in Czech Republic.
MARCH
2. – Prague 1 Court decides that Presidential Office has to apologise to Terezie Kaslova for Zeman’s slanderous statements about her grandfather, late democratic journalist Ferdinand Peroutka. Verdict did not take effect.
3. – Senate calls on Zeman to be moderate when speaking in the public. He should not harm respect enjoyed by senior state authorities and divide society.
4. – Representatives of Prague Castle and church sign property settlement. Metropolitan Chapter will gain the new Provost’s Residence and one house and the Religious Foundation will gain St George’s Convent within Prague Castle compound. Church will give up the rest of its claims at Prague Castle.
9. – Head of Presidential Military Office Rostislav Pilc’s protest against removal of security clearance from him is rejected. He resigned on April 14 and was replaced by Jan Kase.
15.- Zeman and Polish President Andrzej Duda decorate one another with supreme state medals. Zeman gave Order of the White Lion to Duda and received Order of the White Eagle from him.
21.- Police end investigation into the case of four murders, in which relatives of American Kevin Dahlgren were killed, and propose that he be charged with the crime.
22.- Government declares first degree of alert over threat by terrorism in connection with terrorist attacks in Belgium.
– Chamber of Deputies rejects visa-free contact with Turkey arising from agreement between the EU and Turkey over migration.
23.- Court sends former head of Regional Operational Programme Northwest Petr Kusnierz to seven years in prison for illegal machinations with selection of projects subsidised by EU.
– Finance Minister and ANO leader Andrej Babis says his farm Stork Nest was owned by his two children and his partner’s brother at the time it gained European subsidies. He denies any subsidy fraud.
27.- Prague Municipal Court cancels acquittal of former head of Prime Minister Petr Necas’s (ODS) office Jana Necasova (formerly Nagyova) and of other defendants in the case of abuse of Military Intelligence for their purposes.
28.-30. – Chinese President Xi Jinping pays visit to Czech Republic. He and Zeman signed strategic cooperation agreement, memoranda of understanding in the spheres of industry, transport, health and education.
31. – Prague Municipal Court rules that CSSD has to pay over 18.5 million crowns to lawyer Zdenek Altner for his services when he represented it in its court dispute over its Lidovy dum headquarters. CSSD also has to pay the fine to Altner that rose to more than 300 million crowns during 16 years of the court dispute.
– Eight-member family of Iraqi Christian refugees, accommodated in Brno, decides to return home.
