PM says latest wiretap scandal “grave matter”

Prime Minister Petr Nečas said on Thursday that the latest scandal involving wiretap recordings of telephone conversations between the former mayor of Prague Pavel Bém of the Civic Democrats and lobbyist Roman Janoušek were a grave matter and he intended to have a serious talk about it with Mr. Bém. However the prime minister pointed out that the affair had taken place before he was elected head of the Civic Democrats. Parts of the phone conversations were published by the daily Mlada fronta Dnes which broke the story. They indicate that Mr Janoušek was involved in making key decisions about city zoning, the sale of land and the city’s personnel policy.