Corruption suspicions over Pandur contract not confirmed by evidence, says police president

Police president Oldřich Martinů said on Wednesday that investigations of possible corruption into the Pandur public tender awarded by the Czech Ministry of Defence so far have not produced any evidence supporting the corruption allegations. A special team of investigators has evaluated all available documents and information and a total of seven witnesses have been questioned. Although the investigation has not confirmed corruption allegations so far, it will continue. In February, the Czech daily Mladá fronta Dnes suggested that members of the Ministry of Defence, which in 2008 had signed a 14.4 billion crown contract with the Austrian company Steyr to buy armoured personnel carriers, had earmarked two to three percent of the tender as kickbacks for the two strongest political parties. The report caused a scandal and some politicians called for far-reaching reforms that would create greater transparency of public tenders.