Decision on Cunek's bribery case to be made in August

The investigation of the corruption case involving Deputy Prime Minister Jiri Cunek will be completed sometime in August, according to Arif Salichov, the state attorney who recently took over the case. The state attorney said he would ask for new evidence, review all the given testimonies and hear a number of new witnesses before making up his mind whether to file charges against Mr. Cunek. The police have accused the deputy prime minister of accepting a half a million crown bribe while he was mayor of the town of Vsetin, north Moravia in 2002.

The case has rocked Czech politics for the past six months, with the deputy prime minister disregarding calls for his resignation and insisting that he is innocent of any wrong doing. The case even provoked a motion of no-confidence in the centre right government last week, which it survived. Prime Minister Topolanek has said he would dismiss Jiri Cunek only if corruption charges were filed against him.