Interior minister: number of police wiretapping cases up

The number of police wiretappings increased by about 200 cases in the Czech Republic in 2006, compared to the previous year. Interior Minister Ivan Langer told journalists on Friday had wiretapped more than 7,500 phone numbers in 2006. He said that while wiretapping was indispensable for police work firm legislative limits were needed. As an opposition politician until last year, Mr Langer repeatedly criticised what he called the excessive use of wiretapping under the previous government.

Author: Jan Velinger