?TK |
17 July 2012
Prague, July 16 (CTK) - Miroslav Kalousek, in his hysterical reaction to his party colleague's scandal over the dubious CASA deal, underestimated the changing atmosphere in the Czech police and judiciary, while he knows he is irreplaceable as finance minister, Erik Tabery writes in weekly Respekt yesterday.
Last week Kalousek stated that he, the TOP 09 party of which he is the first deputy chairman, and former defence minister Vlasta Parkanova (TOP 09) are victims of a police provocation aimed to discredit them and oust them from politics, Tabery recalls.
Parliament recently released Parkanova, now MP, for criminal prosecution over the suspicious purchase of CASA planes for the Czech air force.
Kalousek is right when he says it is easy to discredit anyone. It suffices to fabricate nonsensical and hardly refutable accusations and the remaining work will be done by the media and people who are ready to trust any dirt cast on politicians, Tabery writes.
Even policemen's honesty cannot be relied upon, Kalousek says, cited by Tabery.
The weak point of Kalousek's argument is that he does not have a single relevant piece of evidence to prove that the above method has been applied in Parkanova's case. There is even no signal indicating why it should happen, who is behind it etc, Tabery writes.
If Kalousek has uncovered inaccurate formulations in the police's file dealing with the CASA purchase, it is good information for Parkanova's defence lawyers but it does not prove the existence of a conspiracy, Tabery writes.
Kalousek's opinion is also unconvincing because he has been the sole politician who has demonstrably tried to influence the investigation of the case. He called the investigator, Jiri Mazanek, as well as Police President Petr Lessy, and he has unprecedentedly attacked the detectives through the media and through his emotional speeches in the Chamber of Deputies, Tabery writes.
Even if the phone calls, denied by Kalousek, were left aside, his public statements about the police investigation of the CASA deal can be considered intimidation, Tabery continues.
Now it has turned out that Kalousek did not speak the truth about his contacts with the police, he adds.
The purchase of CASAs was undoubtedly disadvantageous. The planes are overpriced and do not meet the parameters required by the military. It is logical that the police are trying to clear the case up. Their efforts have been supervised by a state attorney and they might be monitored by the court if criminal charges were filed against Parkanova. It is hard to believe in a conspiracy without a single proof to support it, Tabery says.
What is actually at stake? Kalousek has partly explained it himself. He fears for the reputation of TOP 09, a party he has created, Tabery continues.
However, even if Parkanova were convicted, it would be a mere single case, which would not fatally endanger TOP 09. It is Kalousek who has given a different dimension to the case. His reactions, bordering on hysteria now and then, indicate that something more is at stake, Tabery says.
It is not known whether Kalousek fears that details of dubious practices at the Defence Ministry [which he is said to be influencing since the 1990s] may surface or whether he fears for the interests of his friend Richard Hava, a businessman involved in the CASA purchase. All this may come to the light later. In any case, Kalousek's unwillingness to give way to justice makes him untrustworthy, Tabery points out.
Kalousek has underestimated a recent change in society. During his 20-year career as a politician, he has survived many crises that threatened to oust him from politics, and he has always managed to return to top positions. Maybe this made him believe he can survive anything, Tabery writes.
At the same time, it must be clear to Kalousek that he is indispensable for the present cabinet. TOP 09 chairman Karel Schwarzenberg would never nod to Kalousek's dismissal as Kalousek represents 70 percent of the party's work. Prime Minister Petr Necas (Civic Democrats, ODS) cannot have Kalousek sacked because the government would immediately collapse, Tabery writes.
In spite of this, not even the most arrogant statements Kalousek makes in the media may cover up the fact that certain things have changed, Tabery continues.
The police are no longer a scared team bowing to politicians, he says, pointing to the recent conviction of a high regional clerk for corruption and abuse of EU subsidies. In this case, the judge also openly described politicians' widespread practices based on connections and favouritism, something no judge would dare to mention a couple of years ago. Now it is becoming a standard, Tabery writes.
It would be good if Kalousek resigned or were dismissed, because he does not and will hardly focus on his agenda as finance minister, however important it may be in the period of the economic crisis and stagnation. His remaining in the post would also further harm the cabinet's trustworthiness. In spite of this, his dismissal is improbable, in view of the above described circumstances, Tabery says.
Last week confirmed an important progress in Czech society - politicians do not stand above law. The days ahead will show whether politicians are able to draw a lesson from it. The rest of the public should be closely watching them, Tabery writes.
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Source: http://praguemonitor.com/2012/07/17/respekt-finance-minister-underestimates-police-rising-confidence
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