Railway administration board dismisses chief Svoboda after police cash discovery

The supervisory board of the state-run Railway Administration has removed its director general Jiří Svoboda, Transport Minister Martin Kupka (Civic Democratic Party) announced. Police are investigating several of the company’s contracts worth billions of crowns and, as Czech Radio reported last week, found more than CZK 80 million in cash at Svoboda’s home. He has claimed the money came from the lifelong savings of his father and grandfather. The organisation is currently headed by his deputy Mojmír Nejezchleb, and Kupka said the case undermines public trust and that an independent audit of rail infrastructure projects is being prepared.