News

The Supreme Court has lowered the sentences of two Slovaks who attempted to sell three kilograms of radioactive uranium in a hotel in Brno last year. They were arrested in the act of handing it over and the Brno regional court sentenced them to eight and ten years in prison respectively. The Supreme Court has lowered those sentences by two years on the grounds of a report by experts who testified that the uranium was low quality and the given amount would not have sufficed to make a bomb.

A member of the right-of-centre Civic Democratic Party, Tomas Julinek, has criticised Health Minister David Rath for proposed changes in the health sector. On Tuesday Mr Julinek stated the proposed changes, the reduction of medical services by one-fifth, would see patients suffer, primarily those with chronic diseases, including patients awaiting kidney or bone marrow transplants. The health minister has not responded to the charge. Mr Rath, who is unaffiliated but will run on the Social Democrat ballot in general elections next year, has been at odds with members of the opposition Civic Democratic Party on numerous occasion in recent weeks, trading political barbs and charges over alleged corruption.

A new survey released by Intrum Justitia has revealed that when it comes to payments Czech firms are the second-worst in Europe. Of seventeen countries examined only Portugal fared worse. According to the survey, among developed countries, the Czech Republic has three times the number of cases where creditors never receive payment. Justitia's director indicated on Tuesday that over two years of study the Czech Republic had improved somewhat on the risk index, but not enough to see a change in the country's position overall on the ratings ladder.

A "tell all" book by the fugitive Czech billionaire Radovan Krejcir was to be published on Monday. In the book Krejcir -- who is wanted for conspiracy to murder, counterfeiting, forgery, tax evasion, extortion, and abduction -- claims to have lent the ruling Social Democrats tens of millions of crowns in return for special favours. In the book he also describes in detail the alleged corrupt practices of police and governmental authorities, but doesn't name names. Radovan Krejcir escaped from police custody this autumn. He was later found to be living in the Seychelles islands, where he and his family obtained citizenship many years ago.