Greens want coalition commission into blackmail and entrapment affair

The Green Party has called for an internal coalition commission into a blackmail and entrapment affair involving Vlastimil Tlustý and Jan Morava, who are members of the biggest party in the coalition, the Civic Democrats. The latter quit the Chamber of Deputies last week after it emerged he had bought staged compromising photos of Mr Tlustý, who had played an active role in a sting recorded by tabloid TV station. Mr Morava also gathered material in order to blackmail a rebel Green Party MP, Olga Zubová.

Senior Civic Democrats have been calling on Mr Tlustý (who has frequently been in dispute with them since being passed over for a cabinet post) to resign over his part in the scandal, though he says he has no intention of going. On Monday MP Juraj Raninec, a close associate of Mr Tlustý’s, quit the Civic Democrat’s deputies group over the party’s handling of the affair, which he said had not been properly investigated. He said, however, he would continue to vote with the government, which now has 99 seats in the 200-seat lower chamber.

Another of Mr Tlustý’s allies, Jan Schwippel, is also reported to be considering leaving the deputies group. He was due to hold talks with the its chairman on Tuesday, but postponed the meeting.

Author: Ian Willoughby