PM wants BIS on APC investigation

Prime Minister Jan Fischer has said he wants to ask the Czech intelligence service BIS to cooperate in the police investigation into the purchase of armoured personnel carriers for the Czech army. The contract with Steyr is being investigated on suspicion of corruption after a Czech daily quoted former executives from the Austrian firm as saying that Czech political parties had received bribes in connection with the deal. The prime minister said his request for BIS involvement did not imply a lack of trust in the police investigation, but was based on the belief that the intelligence service might have valuable information on the case which might otherwise be considered classified.