Justice minister reopens corruption case involving former deputy prime minister Jiří Čunek

The minister of justice, Daniela Kovářová, is reopening a case of alleged corruption involving a former deputy prime minister, Jiří Čunek. Mr Čunek, who was a member of the last Czech government, was accused of accepting a bribe from a real estate company while mayor of a town in Moravia. However, a state attorney shelved the matter, saying no crime had been committed. Minister Kovářová said the Czech justice system had been seriously harmed by the case, adding that she now wanted to do all she could to repair the damage to its reputation. For his part, Mr Čunek said he welcomed the minister’s decision to send a complaint about the handling of his case to the Supreme Court. The former Christian Democrats leader came to national prominence after expelling Romany rent-defaulters from the centre of the town of Vsetín and was dogged by controversy while in high office.

Author: Ian Willoughby