Prague, Aug 20 (CTK) – Czech Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka (Social Democrats, CSSD) should explain why the board of the National Security Council (BRS) has been convoked over suspected corruption, opposition Civic Democrat (ODS) head Petr Fiala said yesterday.
He said unless Sobotka explains the step, the government will be most untrustworthy.
The BRS board will yesterday debate the current case of the Ceska posta (CP) post state firm in which bribes for the CSSD are allegedly involved.
The case erupted last week when media wrote that Kamil Choc, from the CSSD’s Central Bohemian organisation, demanded a bribe of three million crowns from businessman Lukas Cadek who has been suing the CP for more than 20 million crowns.
The bribe was to allegedly go to the CSSD coffers and to Interior Minister Milan Chovanec (CSSD), under whom the CP falls. Both the CSSD and Chovanec dismiss this.
According to some information, the case is connected with a tender for security services for the CP.
At the weekend, Chovanec asked for the BRS board to be convoked. He justified his request saying the economic interests of the CP, a state firm, are endangered and that this is accompanied by an attempt to destabilise the situation in the Interior Ministry’s sector with the help of intelligence-security means.
However, many opposition as well as government coalition members say this explanation is insufficient and that the BRS board should only be convoked if the country is faced with a strong danger.
Fiala also wrote on Twitter that Sobotka should explain what role private security services play in the case and how the Czech Republic’s interests are threatened.
He wrote that he would also like to know what role the corruption cause involving the Agrotec firm from Agrofert Holding owned by Andrej Babis, finance minister and ANO movement, plays in the latest developments.
“Unless Bohuslav Sobotka explains the latest developments around the CP and unless Andrej Babis explains the allegedly corrupt practices of his firm Agrotec, the government will be most untrustworthy,” Fiala wrote.
Agrofert Holding reacted yesterday saying its firm Agrotec has caused no damage in the CP case and that employees may have maximally made an administrative mistake.
Agrofert also said the leak of information into the media should be investigated.
“The media campaign and its timing can be considered an indirect instrument aimed to influence the impartiality of the relevant state attorney, particularly by that the criminal prosecution of Afrotec and its employees is politicised in the media and connected with the leading representatives of the ANO movement,” Agrofert’s spokesman Karel Hanzelka said in a press release.
ANO first deputy chairman Jaroslav Faltynek was active in the Agrotec management. The Neovlivni.cz server has written that one suspicious order dates back to the period when Faltynek headed the firm.
“I honour the presumption of innocence. At the same time, I will not draw any conclusions about the guilt or innocence of the people during the criminal proceedings. Let an independent court judge the whole case,” Faltynek said previously.
($1=24.475 crowns)
