Bestsport is suing the company Skanska for the overpriced Sazka Arena

Prague - Sazka, or rather its sister company Bestsport, is suing the construction company Skanska for over half a billion crowns due to the allegedly overpriced construction of the multifunctional hall O2 Arena, previously known as Sazka Arena. Today's Hospodářské noviny (HN) reports this. Bestsport managed the construction for Sazka and is suing the construction company because it itself is facing a lawsuit from Lefkosia CZ for an unpaid commission.
    Lefkosia CZ was supposed to oversee the suppliers for Bestsport to prevent overpricing on the construction. Bestsport promised it five million crowns plus twenty percent of the saved amount, HN writes. The companies are now in litigation at the Municipal Court in Prague over a contractual commission of 118.3 million crowns derived from the amount of overpricing. Bestsport does not recognize the claim, citing, for instance, that Lefkosia CZ was unable to fulfill the contractual obligations to the required extent.
    According to HN, Lefkosia claims that Sazka did not cooperate, and therefore, the wasting could not be prevented. An unnecessary expenditure of 568 million crowns is alleged. And it wants its fifth. It plans to present specific evidence and examples to the court: concrete, which cost an average of two thousand crowns per ton at that time, was allegedly charged five times higher by the suppliers. Some parts of the construction or work, such as scaffolding, were allegedly billed multiple times according to Lefkosia.
    The actual overpricing may, in fact, be even higher than the stated 568 million. "This is the lowest amount we can substantiate because Bestsport only provided a smaller part of the documentation," said HN the manager of Lefkosia, Květoslav Hanel.
    Lefkosia CZ withdrew from the contract with Bestsport in October 2005, while the contract was made at the end of 2003. The litigation between both parties has been ongoing since June 2007. Estimates suggest that the construction of the hall could have cost about six to nine billion crowns. However, total costs may also be double that amount, as Sazka issued bonds to cover the construction, which will be repaid until 2021.
    Meanwhile, Lefkosia CZ sold its claim against Bestsport to the company Incoll Services from the British Virgin Islands to cover part of the fees for the team of experts it worked with on the pricing assessment.