Kavan fined for failing to show up for court hearing over false assistant

Jan Kavan, a former foreign minister, has been fined 30,000 crowns (over 1,000 US dollars) for failing to show up for a hearing at a Prague district court. He had been due to give evidence in the case of Lukas Kohout, who pretended to be Mr Kavan's assistant and flew around the world on government planes. If found guilty, Mr Kohout faces up to eight years in prison.

Author: Ian Willoughby