Investigation begins into whether leaking of controversial police report was illegal

The supreme state attorney, Renata Vesecka, has begun an investigation into whether the leaking of a secret police report was illegal. The report, by the head of the organised crime unit Jan Kubice, accuses Prime Minister Jiri Paroubek and other senior government officials of having ties with the mafia. The confidential report appeared on the internet shortly after Mr Kubice presented it to the Chamber of Deputies defence and security committee on Monday. Police president Vladislav Husak said on Thursday a four-member group of police specialists would start checking the content of the confidential report.

Prime Minister Paroubek reacted angrily to the allegations, saying they were politically motivated and designed to damage his Social Democrats ahead of elections this weekend.