Czech PM faces criminal complaint over alleged bribery

Laska, who cooperates with Transparency International, also filed a complaint against the three former deputies, Marek Snajdr, Petr Tluchor and Ivan Fuksa who, he says, may have accepted a bribe.

Necas called the complaint absurd.

"Anybody can file and criminal complaint against anybody. Nevertheless, I consider this matter fully absurd," Necas said in a statement released to CTK by his spokesman Michal Schuster.

Snajdr, Tluchor a Fuksa gave up their mandates in November 2012 to enable the passage of the government tax package with which they previously disagreed.

In December Snajdr was appointed a member of the supervisory board of Cepro company. Fuksa became managing director of Czech Aeroholding in January.

Laska told CTK that he had filed the complaint with the Prague Municipal State Attorney´s Office today.

"The respective deputies gave up their mandates to a high extent because they were promised significant posts in companies with a state stake. It was Prime Minister Petr Necas who made this promise and other persons, including Finance Minister Miroslav Kalousek (TOP 09), for instance, helped secure these posts," Laska said in the criminal complaint.

Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg repeatedly confirmed that Necas had made this promise to the deputies, Laska pointed out.

The protest of some Civic Democrat legislators against the planned tax rise stirred up a several-day government crisis and caused the postponement of the passing of the 2013 state budget bill.

Author: ČTK
www.ctk.cz