President wants full explanation of alleged bugging of his conversations

President Vaclav Klaus has requested that he be informed in detail about allegations the police bugged phone calls made to him by a businessman, the newspaper Lidove noviny reported on Monday. Two days previously the daily said the police had listened in on calls made to Mr Klaus by Radko Pecic, a good friend of the president's under investigation in connection with a fraud case.

Wire-tapping has been in the headlines for several weeks, since the leader of the opposition Civic Democrats said his phone had been bugged since he was elected two years ago. At the end of last week, President Klaus called on the interior minister to dismiss the chief of police, after the latter made statements evidently making light of wire-tapping.

The president is due to discuss the matter with Prime Minister Stanislav Gross on Tuesday.