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| Czech Police Charge Officials in Corruption Investigation | Czech Police Charge Officials in Corruption Investigation |
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| PARIS — The Czech police have charged seven people after a nationwide raid of government and company offices, intensifying an apparent anticorruption crackdown that has led to the arrest of several officials, including a senior aide of the prime minister, the CTK news agency reported Friday. | PARIS — The Czech police have charged seven people after a nationwide raid of government and company offices, intensifying an apparent anticorruption crackdown that has led to the arrest of several officials, including a senior aide of the prime minister, the CTK news agency reported Friday. |
| The raids on Wednesday and Thursday by an organized crime unit threatened the fragile coalition government of Prime Minister Petr Necas, which has been shaken by a series of disagreements. Among those arrested was Jana Nagyova, the prime minister’s chief of staff. | The raids on Wednesday and Thursday by an organized crime unit threatened the fragile coalition government of Prime Minister Petr Necas, which has been shaken by a series of disagreements. Among those arrested was Jana Nagyova, the prime minister’s chief of staff. |
| The chief state prosecutor from Olomouc, Ivo Istvan, told reporters on Friday that Ms. Nagyova had been charged with misuse of office and bribery. Police officials said her motive appeared to be personal. Two former members of Parliament, Petr Tluchor and Ivan Fuksa, were charged with accepting a bribe and bribery, Mr. Istvan said. | |
| According to an online report by Hospodarske Noviny, a leading newspaper, Ms. Nagyova is suspected of ordering military intelligence officials to follow the prime minister’s wife, Jana Radka Necasova. Mr. Necas announced earlier this week that they were divorcing. | According to an online report by Hospodarske Noviny, a leading newspaper, Ms. Nagyova is suspected of ordering military intelligence officials to follow the prime minister’s wife, Jana Radka Necasova. Mr. Necas announced earlier this week that they were divorcing. |
| Ondrej Palenik, the former chief of military intelligence, was charged with abuse of power, his lawyer Tomas Sokol, told CTK. Milan Kovanda, the current director of military intelligence, faces the same charge, the news agency said. | |
| Addressing Parliament on Friday, Mr. Necas said the theatrical style with which a top military officer had been “eliminated” had done irreparable damage to the Czech Republic and its image. Conspicuously absent was any mention of Ms. Nagyova, his close aide. He remained defiant in his refusal to resign. | Addressing Parliament on Friday, Mr. Necas said the theatrical style with which a top military officer had been “eliminated” had done irreparable damage to the Czech Republic and its image. Conspicuously absent was any mention of Ms. Nagyova, his close aide. He remained defiant in his refusal to resign. |
| On Thursday, Mr. Necas insisted he had no reason to step down. “I am personally convinced that I did not do anything dishonest and that my colleagues have not done anything dishonest either,” he said. “I expect that law enforcement agencies will quickly explain their reasons for launching such a massive operation.” | On Thursday, Mr. Necas insisted he had no reason to step down. “I am personally convinced that I did not do anything dishonest and that my colleagues have not done anything dishonest either,” he said. “I expect that law enforcement agencies will quickly explain their reasons for launching such a massive operation.” |
| But the opposition Social Democrats said Friday that they would call a vote of no confidence unless Mr. Necas resigned. “The Social Democrats expect the speedy resignation of Prime Minster Petr Necas and the entire government. If that does not happen, the Social Democrats will initiate a vote of no confidence,” a party official, Jeronym Tejc, was quoted as saying by Reuters. | But the opposition Social Democrats said Friday that they would call a vote of no confidence unless Mr. Necas resigned. “The Social Democrats expect the speedy resignation of Prime Minster Petr Necas and the entire government. If that does not happen, the Social Democrats will initiate a vote of no confidence,” a party official, Jeronym Tejc, was quoted as saying by Reuters. |
| President Milos Zeman’s office said he would meet on Friday with Mr. Necas, Justice Minister Pavel Blazek, the national police chief, the chief of public prosecutors and the leader of the opposition Social Democrats to discuss how to proceed. | President Milos Zeman’s office said he would meet on Friday with Mr. Necas, Justice Minister Pavel Blazek, the national police chief, the chief of public prosecutors and the leader of the opposition Social Democrats to discuss how to proceed. |
| Even before the raids, Mr. Zeman, a political rival of Mr. Necas’s, had said he was determined to break the stranglehold of corruption over the country. After his victory was announced in January, he said he wanted to be the president of all the Czechs but “not of godfather structures here,” an allusion to the country’s corruption problems. | |
| Interior Minister Jan Kubice told Parliament on Thursday that Mr. Necas had been visited by the chief of the organized crime unit and two state attorneys. He said the visit was “in connection with a step in the criminal proceedings,” but did not elaborate. | Interior Minister Jan Kubice told Parliament on Thursday that Mr. Necas had been visited by the chief of the organized crime unit and two state attorneys. He said the visit was “in connection with a step in the criminal proceedings,” but did not elaborate. |
Hana de Goeij contributed reporting from Prague. | Hana de Goeij contributed reporting from Prague. |