News

The Czech counter-intelligence service (BIS), along with other secret services, last year participated in the investigation into the attack on the information systems of the delegates to the G20 summit in Seoul, BIS says in its report for 2009. BIS reports that it uncovered a sophisticated attempt at cybernetic espionage in June of last year, when contact persons at various finance ministries received forged electronic mail containing a harmful code that would have compromised the security of the computers in question and the infrastructure of the attacked organisation. BIS did not report who was behind the attack, but says that a comprehensive analysis of the electronic attack and the harmful code itself has been carried out.

The Czech domestic security and counter-intelligence service, the Security Information Service, has reported growing Russian activity in the country. In its report on 2009, the service said Russian intelligence gathering was stepped up and focussed in particular on the energy sector and research. The report said the sometimes aggressive intelligence gathering used not only the usual diplomatic cover but also the Russian community in the Czech Republic. As well as political and business contacts attempts had been made to foster links with academic research using students, it added.

The report includes a wider warning of attempts by business and interest groups to subvert the state administration and in particular to influence the filling of top positions and decisions concerning state-owned enterprises such as the state forestry company and Czech Airlines.

Around 300 demonstrators blocked the busy E55 highway between Teplice and Lovosice in the north-west of the country for around 30 minutes on Wednesday. They were calling for the completion of a 16 kilometre section of the D8 motorway which has become embroiled in planning problems. As a result of delay around 12,000 heavy lorries are estimated to go through small villages such as Velemín daily. The stretch of motorway was due to be completed at the end of this year. Environmentalists won a challenge to the motorway’s completion earlier this month meaning that it probably will be completed in 2012 at the earliest and possibly not at all.

Members of the Czech upper house, the Senate, on Wednesday backed the Czech government’s stand against a European proposal for a tax on banks in spite of support for it from left leaning Social Democrats. The European Commission proposal calls for the tax to ensure that in future banking crises a special fund will be available to bail out banks without the state having to immediately step in. Germany, France and Britain have already said they will introduce such a tax. Czech Prime Minister Jan Fischer opposed the move last week at a summit of European leaders in Brussels. He said there were too many uncertainties about it. European affairs minister Juraj Chmiel warned on Wednesday that the tax would be passed onto bank customers in the form of higher charges.