The appellate court will begin addressing the case of the repairs at the Kladruby stud farm

Prague – The Prague High Court today will begin hearing the case concerning contracts for repairs of the National Stud Farm in Kladruby nad Labem. The Hradec Králové District Court acquitted the majority of the 22 defendants, including individuals and companies, two years ago. It imposed fines on three individuals, and one of them received a suspended sentence. The prosecutor insists that the contracts were manipulated and has appealed against the verdict.

The indictment concerns 17 individuals and five construction companies – Metrostav, Strabag, Geosan Stavební, Cettus, and Chládek a Tintěra. The prosecution is related to the first and second phases of the restoration of the national cultural monument.

According to the non-final ruling, it was proven that there was some degree of favoritism being granted to certain clients. However, the Hradec Králové court rejected the prosecutor's assertion that the defendants acted as an organized group. It also stated that the main interest was not enrichment, but rather an effort to have the reconstruction carried out by a reputable company with quality.

The strictest punishment – a one-year suspended sentence and a fine of 30,000 crowns – was given to former head of the Pardubice construction company Cettus, Vladimír Nový. According to the indictment, he was involved in all contracts executed at the Kladruby stud farm, acting as the overseer for the client. The court found him guilty of facilitating favoritism in public procurement and violating competition rules.