David Kasl

Czech billionaire’s PPF seen paving way for Chinese fourth mobile operator bid

David Kasl — Mon, 28 May 2012 08:47:13 +0000

The Czech Republic would stand alone in the European Union if a Chinese mobile phone operator were to win a license to operate in the country and the scenario is far from fiction.

Student Agency boss Jančura lashes out at corrupt politicians, flawed competition watchdog

David Kasl — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 11:00:42 +0000

Radim Jančura is one of the best known and most outspoken Czech businessmen, famous for creating a business empire with a turnover of billions of crowns from a small start-up placing Czech au-pairs abroad, Student Agency, created in the mid-1990s.

Czech betting firms to face criminal charges over embezzlement

David Kasl — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 16:47:18 +0000

The Finance Ministry’s anti-money laundering and financial crimes watchdog, the Financial Analytical Unit (FAÚ), says hundreds of millions of crowns which gambling and betting firms should have put into charitable causes was effectively embezzled. The accusations were outlined in its annual report for 2011 released last month.

How to push business the Czech Post Office’s way

David Kasl — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 18:13:44 +0000

Internet, data and voice services. The Ministry of Interior’s ambition as the founder of the Czech post office, Česká pošta, to turn the state enterprise into an integrated government service organization in the sphere of information and communication technologies (ICT) is taking shape.

Police investigating Klaus’ presidential pardon for ‘underworld’ entrepreneur

David Kasl — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 13:30:57 +0000

Two weeks before Prague Castle on Valentine’s Day published the names of 14 people President Václav Klaus had decided to grant clemency to, Czech Position and several other media received an anonymous message in which the author said he was filing a criminal complaint about an alleged payment of a bribe “in relation to a certain Mr.

Report implies ex-Transport Minister spied on his successor

David Kasl — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 18:38:20 +0000

According to Monday’s lead story in Mladá fronta dnes, last autumn a surveillance device was found in Transport Minister Pavel Dobeš’ (Public Affairs, VV) Audi A8 ministerial car.

Janeček: Public tender winners ‘must strip naked’

David Kasl — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 15:01:48 +0000

Czech government coalition parties — the Civic Democrats (ODS), TOP 09, and Public Affairs (VV) — signed an amendment on June 30 to their coalition agreement pledging to fulfill their previously adopted anticorruption strategy. “In the law on public tenders, the government will implement conditions [to ensure] transparency of bidders,” the amendment reads.

Ex-Czech football assoc boss handed 10-year sentence

David Kasl — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 13:05:18 +0000

The Municipal Court in Prague has found former Czech and Moravian Football Association (ČMFS) chairman František Chvalovský and four former colleagues guilty of defrauding Komerční banka of Kč 1.5 billion and sentenced him to 10 years in prison on Tuesday. According to the state prosecutor, Chvalovský and former associates secured loans from the French-owned retail bank in the late 1990s on the basis of false information.

Ex-Transport Minister Řebíček owns third of Slavia

David Kasl — Tue, 24 May 2011 16:25:31 +0000

Apart from Czech investment and real estate company Natland Group, former Transport Minister Aleš Řebíček (Civic Democrats, ODS) has also taken a stake in the indebted Slavia football club, he told Czech Position. All of last week, Řebíček had been negotiating the deal, but due to the sensitivity of the issue had kept mum about it.

Danish film drama draws on Czech talent, incentives

David Kasl — Mon, 23 May 2011 15:54:32 +0000

In a land known for its fairy tales, the story of how a German doctor became the King of Denmark’s physician and eventually went on to become the virtual ruler of the kingdom toward the end of the 18^th century is an attractive tale. Johann Friedrich Struensee gained King Christian VII’s trust and was named a state councilor, then a privy councilor and finally become the de facto ruler in place of the schizophrenic king.