The police say the judge demanded a bribe of CZK 50 million for a milder sentence imposed on the Metrostav building company. Photo credit: Freepik.
Prague, Nov 25 (CTK) – A public prosecutor has brought charges against former judge Zdenek Sovak and another four people over manipulation of verdicts in the Prague High Court, the Prague High Metropolitan Prosecutor’s Office announced on its website yesterday.
They are charged with abuse of public office, bribery, unlawful preferential treatment and money laundering.
Sovak previously denied having taken bribes.
“The extent of the criminal activities and their legal qualification differs in the case of particular defendants,” said public prosecutor Zdenek Stepanek, supervising the case, without elaborating.
According to the police, Sovak as a judge did not make just, unbiased and independent decisions mainly because of the promised reward from his friend and co-defendant, businessman Milan Biba. The police say the judge demanded a bribe of CZK 50 million for a milder sentence imposed on the Metrostav building company, for instance.
The public Czech Radiozurnal station reported that Sovak would not like to comment on the latest development of his case.
“I follow my defence counsel’s instructions not to provide comments on it for the media at all,” he told Radiozurnal.
Along with Sovak and Biba, Armenian businessman and artist Gagik Tonyan, private detective Robert Plevac and Biba’s girlfriend Charlotte Mulen are charged in this case.
