Former defence minister Barták to be charged with corruption

After concluding an investigation into a 2008 purchase of Tatra trucks for the Czech military, the police have proposed that former defence minister Martin Barták be prosecuted on corruption charges. The police believe that in his capacity as deputy defence minister at the time, Mr Barták asked a Tatra manager for a five-million-dollar bribe to smoothen the deal. The police have also raised corruption charges in the same case against the owner of an arms dealing firm, Michal Smrž, who mediated the purchase. The prosecution said formal charges against the men should be filed by the end of the month.