President refuses to apologise to MP at centre of alleged bribery scandal

President Vaclav Klaus has refused to apologise to MP Zdenek Koristka, who claims people acting on behalf of Civic Democrat leader Mirek Topolanek tried to bribe him to bring down the government. The MP wrote to the president on Friday asking for an apology, after Mr Klaus publicly described him as "not completely trustworthy".

Meanwhile, the two men arrested on Thursday on charges of trying to bribe Mr Koristka were released from custody a day later, after the state attorney rejected a police request to hold them on remand.

Zdenek Koristka says Marek Dalik and Jan Vecerek, acting on behalf of Mr Topolanek, offered him 10 million crowns (around 300,000 euros) to bring down the government, which has a majority of just one, in a confidence vote. The Civic Democrats strenuously deny the allegations.