Police want to charge the de facto leader of the Public Affairs (VV) Vít Bárta with corruption for cash payments made to fellow party members. However, first parliament must vote to lift his MP’s immunity — and that appears unlikely to happen, with Hospodářské noviny reporting that Prime Minister Petr Nečas and his supporters within the Civic Democratic Party (ODS) will support Bárta.
“He doesn’t want to be handed over [to the police]. He’s looking for support mostly among the ODS and ČSSD (center-left Social Democrats – the largest party in opposition) MPs; he’s also negotiating with the Communist Party (KSČM),” a member of the ODS leadership who wished to remain anonymous told Hospodářské noviny (HN).
Ironically, in its policy program, VV — which was founded by Bárta, its paymaster, as centrist anti-corruption party — states that it will strive to abolish MP’s immunity with the exception of prosecutions relating to speeches made in parliament.
In April, two MPs Krisýna Koči and Jaroslav Šarka, who have since left VV, lodged criminal complaints against Bárta for giving them cash payments, allegedly in return for “loyalty”, or keeping quiet about his irregular practices; Bárta claims they were personal loans. The scandal sparked a crisis within the ruling coalition (ODS, VV and TOP 09) resulting in Bárta’s resignation as transport minister and official VV chairman Radek John being forced to step down as interior minister.
Police waiting since June
Having completed ODS is divided over how to vote Bárta’s immunitytheir investigation, at the end of June Police requested the Chamber of Deputies, the lower house of parliament, to hand over Bárta to face corruption charges so the case can be passed to the state prosecution service.
Police also requested the lifting of Šarka’s immunity on suspicion of accepting bribes – he allegedly reported the payments from Bárta too late and spent some of the money. Šarka denies the allegations and himself requested the lower house to lift his own immunity.
It is up to the lower house’s subcommittee on immunity to discuss the police’s request for Bárta’s rendition and then recommend to MPs how to vote.
According to Hospodářské noviny, ODS, the largest of the three coalition parties, is divided over how to vote Bárta’s immunity. “I don’t have a strong opinion about it. I will probably act according to how Public Affairs themselves decide on the issue,” ODS MP Marek Benda, who is known as a close ally of PM Nečas told the daily.
Another of the PM’s allies, the ousted environment minister Pavel Drobil, said he will probably decide according to the findings of the immunity committee. The ODS leadership has reportedly not held a formal discussion on the issue.
On the other hand, the faction of the ODS loyal to the former chairman of the party’s club of MPs, Petr Tluchoř, will vote in favor of Bárta’s dismissal, the daily says. Considering VV openly accused Tluchoř and his associates of grooming Koči to leave VV and orchestrating her “treacherous” revelations, this would not be a surprise.
Couting allies on the left
TOP 09, the second largest coalition party, has already resolved to vote in favor of handing over Bárta to the police, but surprisingly If Bárta were to adhere to his party’s anticorruption program he would already have submitted a request for his immunity to be stripped. Bárta may muster support in the ranks of the ČSSD, namely among the supporters of South Bohemia governor Michal Hašek, who earlier in the year came a close second in his bid for the party leadership and with whom Bárta reportedly has good relations.
“Everyone should have the right to a fair trial. I’m surprised that Mr. Bárta has not himself asked for his immunity to be lifted so as to have a chance to prove his innocence in an independent court,” Hašek told HN.
Indeed, if Bárta were to adhere to his party’s anticorruption program adopted prior to parliamentary elections, he would already have submitted such a request. “We will demand the limitation of immunity of MPs and senators only to immunity for speeches delivered in the in the Parliament of the Czech Republic or in its organs,” VV’s official program reads.
Public Affairs keeping quiet
VV deputy leader Karolina Peake has reportedly said that she probably won’t support lifting Bárta’s immunity, while the party’s official leader Radek John has so far declined to comment on the issue.
Peake has not responded to Czech Position’s question on how she intends to vote and in the event she and her party colleagues do vote to preserve the immunity of their “guru” (as he was referred to by some party colleagues), what kind of reaction she expects from the electorate.
Bárta failed to turn up at the immunity committee’s meeting at the end of July to discuss his case despite his promise to do so, and the committee decided to postpone the hearings until August 25. “Even if he doesn’t turn up [this time], we will decide all the same [on how to recommend the house to vote]. It is not our duty to wait for him,” committee chairman Jeroným Tejc (ČSSD) told HN.
