Prague - Last week, journalists from TV NOVA and MF DNES daily reported that young Civic Democratic now former MP Jan Morava was keen on acquiring materials that could discredit some of the Czech lawmakers. On Monday 9 September, Morava gave up his MP post and left the politics.
However, the documents published by TV NOVA in full on Sunday September 8 told much more. Vlastimil Tlustý who is behind the provocation scheme with former MP Jan Morava was secretly recorded by the TV NOVA journalists. In the recordings he gives away information not only on the ODS bribery dealings but also the party´s 2006 pre-election campaign that was not entirely "clean".
Read more: Czech MP caught red-handed in political blackmail case
Footballer's name popped up
In the recordings Tlustý admitted to have offered notorious footballer Milan Baroš (currently plays for Istanbul's Galatasaray) CZK 10 million as a subsidy for his football academy in exchange for participating in Civic Democratic pre-election capign ads.
After the elections, Tlustý was the Finance Minister for four months but due to failure to win the support in parliament, Tlustý had to leave his post and did not have enough time to arrange for the 10-million "gift" to Baroš.
Therefore he tried to remind PM Topolánek and new Finance Minister Miroslav Kalousek from Christian Democratic Party (KDU-ČSL) to pay the ODS´s debt to Baroš.
"When I quit the job, I gave Kalousek and Topolánek a list of about fifteen things that were pending and I was not able to get them done," Tlustý said.
"And about six months later, Baroš called me and said: They must be all mad, they act like it was not their business. They say it is your business and they will not do it," Tlustý told Kroupa, adding that he answered Baroš: "I will tell them they are all idiots, because they all knew how it was."
Disinterested help at first
Tlustý told Aktuálně.cz that he sees no reason for being charged with abuse of public finances.
"The whole agreement emerged when the footballer offered help with the ODS pre-election campaign and didn't want anything in exchange. But then, on the pre-election meeting, Baroš's father mentioned their plan to build a [football education] center. Topolánek shook his hand, saying that he can count on them," Tlustý said to Aktuálně.cz.
The football college was founded by Baroš's father in Vigantice, south Moravia in July 2006 with roughly 30 boys attending the school.
Some time ago, Baroš allegedly claimed he had officially applied for a government subsidy, but Tlustý was no longer Finance Minister, so he could not confirm the information.
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