Jiri Cunek to hit Czech TV with libel suit

Deputy Prime Minister Jiri Cunek has said he will sue Czech Television for claiming that back in 1997 he and his family had drawn welfare benefits at a time when he was making millions of crowns. The country's public broadcaster said on Monday it had certificates to prove that Mr. Cunek drew social benefits and housing allowances from the state at a time when he deposited 3.5 million crowns (close to 190,000 US dollars) into three different bank accounts. Mr. Cunek told journalists that all he had received from the state were birth and child allowances, both across-the-board benefits any parent is entitled to. However the daily Pravo on Tuesday published a copy of a certificate allegedly proving that the state provided Jiri Cunek with both a housing allowance and social benefits in 1997. Since entering high politics Mr. Cunek has been dogged by scandal. In February of this year the police accused him of corruption but the prosecution was halted due to a lack of evidence.