Military Police Recommend Prosecuting Seven Over Corruption in Defence Ministry Tenders

The Czech Military Police have asked prosecutors to press charges against seven people in a large-scale case involving manipulation of public tenders announced by the Defence Ministry's Real Estate Management Agency (AHNM). Two other members of the group have already struck a plea deal with investigators, admitting guilt in exchange for a reduced sentence, Military Police spokeswoman Nikola Rimkevič Hajková announced on Monday.

According to investigators, one of the agency's technical staff members — who no longer works for the ministry — abused his position while organising public procurement. Police seized more than 1.3 million crowns in cash from him. In exchange for payment, he allegedly gave certain bidders an illegal advantage, registering them for competitions and letting them take part under conditions unavailable to other candidates.

Millions of Crowns for a Tender Advantage

Investigators say the official received payments from bidders totalling roughly several million crowns for these services. The bribes gave the companies involved a more favourable position in the tender process and allowed them to compete for contracts in violation of the principles of fair and transparent competition. Among other things, investigators found illegally stored firearms in the possession of one of the suspects.

Investigators have classified the defendants' actions as accepting benefits in connection with organising public procurement, tenders and auctions, combined with corruption offences. The person found with the illegal weapon also faces charges of illegal arms possession. It is now up to a state prosecutor to decide whether the case will go to trial.

Case Split Into Several Proceedings

According to the Military Police spokeswoman, the case is extensive not only in terms of the number of people investigated and charged, but also in the amount of surveillance material, documentation, electronic correspondence and financial records collected.

Two other separate cases, involving four people and one company, were earlier split off from the main proceedings. District courts in Pardubice and Ústí nad Orlicí have already ruled on those cases, handing down suspended sentences, fines running into millions of crowns, bans on professional activity, and bans on participating in public tenders. Those cases involved a private company bribing agency technicians, who in turn accepted unfinished or incomplete construction works in exchange for payment and secured the firm a temporary advantage or other benefits in tenders.

Around Prague, based on reporting by seznamzpravy.cz