Archive: Domestic affairs | Army Army
Parliamentary committee recommends for MP and former defence minister to be stripped of immunity
Parliament’s Mandate and Immunity Committee has advised deputies in the
lower house to strip coalition MP Vlasta Parkanová of immunity. The former
defence minister is suspected of abuse of public office and breach of trust
in connection with a 3.5 billion crown purchase of military planes during
her term in office. More
Legal assessment on Parkanová case sparks fresh political controversy
Former defense minister Vlasta Parkanová, who has come under suspicion of
abusing her position in an overpriced military aircraft deal, has a loyal
defender in Finance Minister Miroslav Kalousek. The finance minister, who
previously served in the same cabinet in which Mrs Parkanová had the
defense portfolio, has called her possible prosecution unconstitutional. He
is basing his criticism on a statement from the Czech Institute of State
and Law. More
Middleman denies enormous profits on controversial CASA deal
The Omnipol company, which is at the centre of a scandal involving
allegedly overpriced military transport planes, has defended itself, saying
its profits from the deal were normal and amounted to far less than police
and the media have asserted. Meanwhile, a parliament committee has begun
examining the evidence to determine whether to give up MP and former
defence minister Vlasta Parkanová, who the police want to prosecute over
the deal. More
Police seeks to prosecute former defence minister for overpriced army deal
Czech MPs are to decide next week whether or not to allow the prosecution
of another of their colleagues – coalition MP, and deputy speaker of the
house Vlasta Parkanová. The anti-corruption police accuse the former
defence minister of wasting nearly 660 million crowns in a deal to buy
transport planes for the Czech military. Mrs. Parkanova’s party claims
the charges are unsubstantiated as the decision was taken by the whole
government. More
New slat armour to be used on additional Czech military vehicles in Afghanistan
Additional transport vehicles used by the Czech military in Afghanistan are
to receive added protection developed by defence firm VOP-026 Šternberk:
cage (or slat) armour capable of defending against rocket-propelled
grenades or shape-charged warheads. Lightweight and made of superior alloy
steel, the slat armour can consistently save lives in attacks that
otherwise almost certainly prove fatal. More
Former defence minister to be charged in corruption case
One of the most blatant corruption cases in recent years will end up in
court. Prosecutors in the north-eastern city of Ostrava have announced that
two people will be charged in the case of the 2006 purchase of Tatra trucks
for the Czech army. Although no details about the charges and the people
involved have been officially disclosed, a number of Czech media have
reported that former defence minister Martin Barták is one the two men
facing prosecution. More
No agreement yet by coalition on new VAT rate or spending cuts
A meeting between government coalition leaders on Monday failed to produce
conclusive results on how the government will offset falling tax revenues.
But two variants, narrowed down, are on the table: to introduce new
spending cuts at most government ministries as well as in some social
benefits to bring the public finance deficit down to 3.5 percent of GDP in
2012. Or, alternatively, to raise the VAT to a uniform 19 percent (with
minimal exemptions on books, medicines, newspapers & magazines). More
NATO chief slams Czechs over reduced military spending
NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen has criticized the Czech
government for reduced military spending. According to media reports, the
NATO chief sent Prime Minister Petr Nečas a letter warning that his
government might not be able to fulfil its commitments to the alliance
should these cuts continue in the coming years. More
Defence minister fights for his political future
Czech coalition leaders have crossed swords over one of the most
influential men in the Czech cabinet – Defence Minister Alexandr Vondra
of the Civic Democrats. Mr. Vondra has been dogged by problems lately, the
most serious of which is a questionable multi-million crown contract
relating to the country’s EU presidency at a time when he held the EU
portfolio. When the internet daily euro.cz on Wednesday published
information suggesting that Mr. Vondra had allegedly been aware of the
dubious terms of the contract which cost taxpayers millions of crowns the
two smaller parties moved in for the kill, demanding that minister Vondra
face the problem squarely and accept political responsibility for the
scandal. I asked political analyst Vít Hloušek if this is likely to be the
last straw for the embattled defence minister. More
Military commando team raids offices at Czech TV
The Czech defence Minister Alexandr Vondra, has suspended from office the
head of the Czech military police and two high-level commanders over an
unprecedented incident on Friday at the headquarters of public broadcaster
Czech TV. Early in the evening - as the station aired its primetime news
broadcast - nine masked and heavily armed members of a military command
unit forced their way into the news building, pushing past security guards
and jumping turnstiles. More
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