Minister halts Karlín barracks sale deal

The Ministry of Defense has announced the cancellation of a tender to sell a large disused army barracks complex near the centre of Prague. Minister Martin Stropnický said there were suspicions that two of the three companies that took part in the final stage of bidding had ownership connections. The Griva Art company, headed by Ivana Tykačová, the wife of Czech billionaire businessman Pavel Tykač, made the highest, 600 million crown, bid for the Karlín barracks complex. Stropnický said he would like to hold a new tender. The main building of the barracks was completed in 1845. Griva Art said that it had plans to turn the complex in a new university campus.