The allocation of EU grants in Northern Bohemia was not carried out in line with requirements, according to an audit by the consultancy Deloitte ordered by the Czech FinMin and EU executive. Problems were found in 34 of the 35 projects examined — and calculations of the evaluation criteria were riddled with systemic mathematical errors. What’s more, sources say the winning firms are secretly owned by regional ‘godfather’ Patrick Oulický.

The Chinese plan to invest $10 billion in Central and Eastern Europe over the coming years in the region’s infrastructure, technology and ecology sectors. While the buying spree has already begun, the Czech Republic doesn’t figure in any plans Chinese investors have made public thus far. But ZTE and Huawei both operate on the Czech, and the planned auction of mobile services frequencies could attract China Mobile, the world’s largest mobile operator.

Prague-listed power major ČEZ is set to lose up to Kč 10 billion over the next three years from its investment into the Albanian power distribution company as a result of a 91 percent hike in tariffs imposed by the government in Tirana, non-payment of bills, and loses from the network, the Czech daily Lidové noviny (LN) reported Wednesday.

Gaz-System, the gas transit system operator in Poland, reportedly could make a bid for its counterpart in the Czech Republic, Net4Gas, which together already plan to build a new pipeline between the countries in a bid to further weaken Russian control over the key energy source.