A court has ruled that the Road and Motorway Directorate (ŘSD), which is run by the Ministry of Transport, must remove signs reading “Built by Skanska” from sections of road built by the Swedish-based construction giant which the ministry claims do not fulfill the required standards.
Outgoing Transport Minister Vít Bárta (Public Affairs, VV) initiated the publicity campaign against Skanska, which is also seeking damages from the ministry. The firm says it launched legal proceedings against the Transport Ministry in response to lies, false information, distorted facts and inciting negative sentiment against the company. Skanska is seeking Kč 50 million in damages for bringing the company’s name into disrepute. ‘We have patiently endured attacks by Minister Bárta, and by extension the ŘSD, for almost a month.’
“We have patiently endured attacks by Minister Bárta, and by extension the ŘSD, for almost a month. Every day we have attempted to establish proper communication, proposed an open exchange of information and presented facts,” Dan Ťok, General Director of Skanska, said in a press release on Monday.
“But all this has been of more interest to journalists than for our client, with whom we previously managed to settle any contentious issues or complications with construction calmly and within the framework of contractual conditions,” he said.
On April 15, the Municipal Court in Prague ordered that the ŘSD immediately remove all the “Built by Skanska” signs as a preliminary measure to the libel case against the ministry brought by Skanska.
“We are convinced that the actions of the ministry and ŘSD which culminated in the display of the signs was unquestionably an affront to the company’s good name. Therefore, the demand to refrain from unwarranted attacks, an apology and financial compensation, is absolutely appropriate,” said David Skopal from the law firm Pokorný, Wagner & spol., which is representing Skanska.
