Polish lobbyist Spyra released on bail

Polish lobbyist Jacek Spyra, accused of attempted fraud, was released from custody in Prague's Pankrac prison on a two-million-crown bail on Friday, the Novinky.cz server reported. Mr Spyra is suspected of having offered Andrej Babis, the owner of Agrofert company, to help him get rid of troubles with his investigation in Poland in exchange for a 10-million-crown bribe. Mr Spyra allegedly told Mr Babis that high-ranking Polish officials were interested in criminalising him but their efforts could be stopped. In reaction to it, Agrofert lodged a criminal complaint against Mr Spyra who was eventually detained at a meeting with an Agrofert employee who was to hand over the money to him. If found guilty, Mr Spyra faces up to 12 years in prison.

Andrej Babis was among the bidders in the privatisation of the Czech petrochemical giant Unipetrol. The Czech state finally sold the company to Polish PKN Orlen. Both Czech and Polish police investigated the circumstances of the deal on suspicion of corruption.