News

A State Attorney has been fined 15% of his wages for the next three months, having been found guilty of professional misconduct by the High Court in Olomouc. Mr. Horvath's wages were docked following the loss of a file on fugitive Czech businessman Radovan Krejcir, which was in his care at the time. The file was stolen from Mr. Horvath's car in May this year, where he had left it unattended. It was later retrieved and two people have been charged in connection with the theft. But the judge ruling in Mr. Horvath's case said today that 'a state attorney has to behave in such a way that the possibility of a file getting lost is minimal'. He deemed that Mr. Horvath's behaviour had been reckless. Mr. Horvath has already been suspended from his post as a result of the incident.

Radovan Krejcir is a fugitive businessman wanted in the Czech Republic on charges of fraud. A South African court is currently considering whether he should be extradited.

The board of Sparta Football Club have handed defender Pavel Horvath a fine of 300,000 CZK (15,000 USD), and stripped him of the captaincy, following his sending off against Slavia Prague on Monday. During the Prague derby held on Monday evening, Mr. Horvath lashed out at an opponent and was subsequently sent off. On Wednesday, members of Sparta Football Club agreed that his behaviour had weakened the side, and ultimately led to their 2:0 defeat. According to a statement released by the club, the fine was as high as it was because players had already been warned, following an incident-filled match against Teplice, that 'unsporting' behaviour would not be tolerated. Mr. Horvath's team-mate, David Limbersky, also picked up a 10,000 CZK penalty for arguing with the referee during Monday's match.

Czech students have collected more than 30,000 signatures under a petition for Briton Nicholas Winton to receive the Nobel Peace Prize for saving 669 mostly Jewish children from the Nazis by organizing transports out of Czechoslovakia before World War Two and finding temporary homes for them in Britain. The initiative has received support from Czech Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg who said that he had already sent a letter to the Stockholm-based committee that decides about the prizes. Mr. Winton is currently in Prague attending Forum 2,000. He also met with Czech students and some of the children who survived the war thanks to his assistance. On Wednesday he is to meet with President Vaclav Klaus. In recognition of his brave deed Queen Elizabeth II promoted Nicholas Winton to knighthood and the Czech Republic awarded him the Tomas Garrigue Masaryk Order in 1998.

The EC has advised the Czech Republic to work on cutting its public spending deficit to below one percent of the GDP by 2012. In its annual report on member states finances the EC says that a gradual reduction of the Czech Republic's steep budget deficit is essential for paving the way to the adoption of the single currency. It has recommended a budget deficit below three percent of the GDP in 2008. The centre-right Czech government says that this is a realistic target. However the country has had problems fulfilling its commitments in the past. This year's budget deficit is expected to be around 3.6 percent of the GDP although the country had pledged not to exceed 3.3 percent.