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Lidovky.cz

Vondra makes key MoD replacements

  16:59

Appointments to ministry procurement functions aim to purge corrupt practices from the MoD; ex-minister Barták claims credit

Defense Minister Alexandr Vondra (TOP 09) decorates a soldier foto: ČTKČeská pozice

The Ministry of Defense announced two new appointments on Wednesday, confirming growing speculation about an imminent reshuffle of key posts in the ministry stemming from Defense Minister Alexandr Vondra’s (Civic Democrats, ODS) plans to tighten control over the procurements department, which is responsible for purchasing billions of crowns worth of military equipment.

Col. Pavel Bulant, a career soldier who previously headed Vondra’s office was named the new director of the ministry’s Department for Armaments; Petr Szönyi, the acting head of the Department for Procurements, is to head the Office for Supervision of Procurements.

The new appointments are also connected with the removal of former deputy defense minister Rudolf Blažek (ODS), who, according to Czech Position’s information, rarely attended defense ministry meetings — earning him the nickname of “long-distance controller” among colleagues in the ministry. Blažek is now reportedly dedicating more time to his role as a representative to the elected Prague assembly and looking to return to top level local city politics. He was a deputy to former Prague mayor, Pavel Bém (ODS).

Cleaning house

The two personnel changes are part of a wider campaign to cleanse the defense ministry of persons lniked to corruption scandals under previous ministers and to improve efficiency. The ministry has regularly come under scrutiny in recent years for an apparent lack of vision of its procurement strategy, which resulted in often over-priced purchases of military equipment that has remained unused in operations by the Czech military.

Vondra has been keen to disassociate himself and his leadership of the ministry from his predecessors and in particular people close to Martin Barták (ODS), who served as deputy defense minister from 2006 to 2008 and then as defense minister from May 2009 to July 2010.

Barták is under investigation by Czech anti-corruption police for allegedly soliciting a bribe from representatives of Czech vehicle manufacturer Tatra, to smooth out problems with a defense ministry subcontractor. He resigned from his post as deputy finance minister in March due to the ongoing investigation, which he claims is being protracted for political purposes.

Nevertheless, in comments to the news serverparliamentnilisty.cz on the eve of the Vondra’s new appointments, Barták claimed Vondra’s personnel changes are a continuation of reform he initiated.

“All I can say about the potential appointment of Col. Bulant to the post of director of the section for armaments procurement is that I see the step as a clear continuation of the reform efforts which began under our leadership of the defense ministry because Mr. Bulant served almost two years as the head of my office, when I was the first deputy to Defense Minister Vlasta Parkanová,” he said.

Vondra surely won’t welcome Barták’s claim, which may be interpreted as an attempt to discredit Vondra and even derail his program to overhaul the defense ministry.

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