Czech Republic

Backroom antics at Ministry of Defence

Published on 3 September 2010 at 11:23

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"The vice-minister: how we cheated" headlines Mladá Fronta DNES, which secretly recorded a business meeting between a high-ranking official of the Czech Defence ministry and an arms industry representative. The daily reveals how the ministry was able to get around the European laws governing arms contract offers in public markets: it suffices to create a "strategic project" with another member state, such as Slovakia. The dealers can then exact higher prices than in other countries, while corrupt officials pocket commissions on the transactions.

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