Czech FinMin Kalousek pressed on Parkanova´s investigator- server
03.07.2012 14:08
Prague - Czech Foreign Minister Miroslav Kalousek (TOP 09) last week threatened the investigator of the case of former defence minister Vlasta Parkanova (TOP 09), telling him "he has ended with the police," Respekt.cz server writes today, adding Kalousek dismisses this.
The opposition Social Democrats (CSSD) called for Kalousek´s immediate resignation over this.
Respekt.cz server wrote that the detective, Jiri Mazanek, made a written record of the phone call and informed supervising state attorney Jan Koran.
He told him he considers the call pressure being exerted on him.
"I can say this accusation is an StB-like mean slander," Kalousek told the server.
He was alluding to the state police (StB) under the communist regime.
Kalousek said he only called the detective to tell him that he is sending to the state attorney an expert opinion that challenges the reasons of the police accusation of Parkanova, Chamber of Deputies deputy chairwoman.
The police want the Chamber of Deputies to release Parkanova for criminal prosecution over the purchase of CASA planes for the military that was allegedly overpriced by 658 million crowns.
The police say Parkanova did not have an expert opinion on the planes´ price worked out.
Kalousek told CTK today that in the phone call last week he expressed surprise at the investigator himself not having asked for an expert opinion.
"It is absolutely absurd that I would have told him that he will end up somewhere. How could I manage this? I can threaten someone that he/she will end up at the Finance Ministry, but not at the police," Kalousek said.
The Chamber of Deputies´s mandate and immunity committee has dealt with the case and it will make a recommendation to the Chamber of Deputies that will take a final vote on the police request at its July session.
Parkanova dismisses any wrongdoing and says she is convinced that no such criminal act of which the police accuse her could be committed.
Kalousek has been sharply defending Parkanova since the case was released earlier this month.
He said, for instance, the accusation is a police attack on the state´s decision-making mechanisms and the democratic system.
Prime Minister Petr Necas (Civic Democrats, ODS) called on Kalousek to moderate his statements this week.