Czech held in Ukraine for allegedly selling bugging equipment was elite police officer

A Czech held in custody in Ukraine for illegally selling devices for bugging phone calls is a former officer with the special police unit for combating organised crime, the server of Czech public radio has revealed.

It identified the man as Luděk Vokal, drawing on information given by a local court.

Vokal was detained in custody on Wednesday with bail set at around 4,500 euros. He must stay in Ukraine to help police with the investigation and could face a jail sentence of four to seven years if found guilty.

Some Czech media reported that a Czech diplomat was also detained but later released in connection with the case. The Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it had no information.