Four people charged in corruption case in Olomouc

Four people, including the Olomouc regional governor Jiří Rozbořil, have been charged in connection with a highly-publicized corruption case. The charges include abuse of office and offering and accepting bribes, Pavel Hanták, the spokesman for the Czech police unit fighting organised crime, said on Thursday.

Charges have also been brought against the deputy head of the Olomouc regional police force Karel Kadlec, the head of the region’s police department for economic crime Radek Petruj, and Ivan Kyselý one of the most influential businessmen in the region. The four are believed to have been part of an influential corruption ring suspected of having manipulated public tenders, influenced the selection of candidates for key posts in public administration and marred police investigations.