Zeman slams BIS chief over ‘fictitious’ hunt for Russian, Chinese spies

President Miloš Zeman says he will for a fourth time reject the government's proposal to promote Michal Koudelka, head of the national counter-intelligence agency (BIS), to the rank of general.

This spring, the Czech president objected to charges made in the BIS annual report that Russian and Chinese spies are spreading disinformation and engaging in economic espionage in this country.

In his regular weekly interview on commercial station TV Barrandov, President Zeman said the BIS director should focus “real economic crime” in the Czech Republic rather than engaging in a “fictitious hunt for Russian and Chinese spies”.

Koudelka noted earlier this week that BIS had helped dismantled a spy network funded by the Russian Embassy in Prague.

Author: Brian Kenety