Prague - The Savoy case hits back. Prosecution handed CZK 100,000 and 40,000 fines to former secret policeman Petr Bakeš and former policeman Jiří Dvořák, respectively.

Bakeš and Dvořák helped to air a CCTV footage that showed a secret meeting of President Václav Klaus's chief of presidential office Jiří Weigl with Miloslav Šlouf, controversial lobbyist and former adviser to Social Democrat PM Miloš Zeman shortly before the presidential election in February 2008.

The meeting took place in Prague's Hotel Savoy and has been dubbed the Savoy Affair.

Weigl and Šlouf both testified under oath, stating that they met secretly because of the presidential election 2008. Chief of presidential office Jiří Weigl was seeking support of former ČSSD boss Miloš Zeman to get Václav Klaus reelected.

Banned to work as policemen

According to the district court's verdict, Bakeš and Dvořák are both banned from pursuing their career as policemen - Bakeš for one year, Dvořák for two years.

"We will certainly file an appeal against the ruling," Dvořák's lawyer Bronislav Šerák told Aktuálně.cz.

In February this year prosecution handed a CZK 20,000 fine to reporter Sabina Slonková after she refused to disclose the source of a controversial CCTV footage aired by internet online daily Aktuálně.cz.