Former StB agent sentenced for insurance fraud

A Czech court has sentenced Pavel Minařík, a well-known former agent of the communist-era secret police the StB, to 4.5 years in prison for insurance fraud. In 1996, Mr Minařík allegedly had material belonging to his company set on fire in Ukraine in order to claim insurance money worth millions of crowns. The defendant, who pled not guilty, has appealed the verdict. Under communism, the former agent was hailed as a hero in connection with a plan to carry out a bomb attack on Radio Free Europe’s Munich headquarters.