Coalition party leaders concerned over meeting between justice minister and Zeman associate

Coalition party leaders of TOP 09, the Pirate Party, Christian Democrats and Mayors and Independents say they will demand a further explanation from Justice Minister Pavel Blažek of the Civic Democrats as to why he spent five hours in a Prague restaurant in the company of Martin Nejedlý, a controversial advisor to the former president Miloš Zeman, who was believed to have close ties with Russia. Mr. Blažek said earlier that the meeting, which was reported on by Seznam Zprávy, was unplanned and he had ducked into the restaurant to take cover from a heavy storm. The Civic Democratic Party’s coalition partners say they consider the meeting extremely inappropriate and fear it will damage the image of the entire government.