Jaroslav Strnad's Company Files Police Complaint Over Post About Helicopter "Čestmír" for Ukraine

Helicopter Alliance, a company linked to businessman Jaroslav Strnad, has filed a complaint with the police against an anonymous account operating under the name Tomáš Paukner. The author of the post accused the company of fraud, claiming that the UH-60A Black Hawk helicopter "Čestmír," promised to Ukraine, never actually made it there and instead remained in commercial use with Sloučk Training Academy, part of the Helicopter Alliance holding.

According to Helicopter Alliance, the author left out a key fact: the fundraiser's organizers had indeed agreed with the company to replace the aircraft, ultimately purchasing a different helicopter of the same type — an American-made, cheaper model. It was this machine that was handed over to Ukraine, not the "Čestmír" from the Czech firm. The organizers had publicly announced the helicopter swap back in 2024, when the target fundraising amount was reduced from 105 million crowns to roughly 70 million due to the lower price of the replacement.

Accusations Missing Key Facts

"Tomáš Paukner created the impression among tens of thousands of people that Jaroslav Strnad and our companies had defrauded donors of more than 70 million crowns. In doing so, he concealed the most important detail — he confused two different helicopters. Given that the author prides himself on his ability to gather and analyze information, it's strange that he missed details about the aircraft swap, which were freely available in open sources," said Helicopter Alliance spokesperson Jaroslav Havenda.

According to him, the author published a sensational but false story about fraud exceeding 70 million crowns, linking it to specific people and companies while also profiting from the posts. "In our legal opinion, he crossed the line from freedom of speech into criminal territory. That's why we've handed the matter over to the police," Havenda added.

Initiative Preparing Its Own Lawsuit

The "Gift for Putin" initiative, which raised funds for the helicopter for the Ukrainian army, is also preparing to file a defamation complaint against the person or people behind the anonymous profile. As co-founder and lead organizer Martin Ondráček previously stated, if the identity of the author can be established, the organizers will also consider filing a lawsuit.

Around Prague, based on reporting by seznamzpravy.cz