Regulator to investigate possible market manipulation after surge in Cesky Telecom share price

The Czech securities market regulator is to investigate possible market manipulation in the trading of shares in Cesky Telecom after they surged 5.13 percent last Thursday following reports - later denied - of interest from France Telecom in the Czech government's 51 percent stake in the telecoms operator. On Nov 25, a business website published a report citing an unnamed source as saying that France Telecom was interested in the Czech telco. The report also said top managers of France Telecom had asked Czech finance minister Bohuslav Sobotka for a meeting.