Press: Police launch investigation into allegations deputy minister solicited bribe

Police have launched an investigation into allegations that Deputy Finance Minister Martin Barták solicited a bribe, Mladá fronta Dnes reported. Tatra supervisory board member and former US ambassador to Prague William Cabaniss told the same newspaper last week that while Mr Barták was deputy defence minister he had asked for cash to resolve a problem between the truck maker and a subcontractor. Another Tatra representative put the figure at millions of US dollars. Mr Barták, who has denied the charges, is now on unpaid leave.

Author: Ian Willoughby