Head of City of Prague preservation department charged with obstruction and neglect

Police have charged the head of the Prague town hall preservation department Jan Knežinek with obstruction and neglect of his office. He faces demotion and up to three years in prison. The police reacted to a decision by the Plzeň Regional Authority, which on Tuesday announced that the City of Prague is to pay a 3.25 billion crown fine for damages that occurred during the repairs of Charles Bridge, The Regional Authority had been appointed by the Ministry of Culture to determine whether repairs of Prague’s Charles Bridge were devaluating the landmark status of the monument, after the City of Prague had failed to take action. The fine was based on damages to original blocks used in the bridge’s construction and the use of modern materials in the repair of the bridge, which is listed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List. The repairs were administered by the company Mott MacDonald, which was found not to be responsible for the damages.

Author: Sarah Borufka