The Czech EU presidency in 2009 was not exactly a harmony-filled reign, but corruption officials suspect it was more profitable for some than it should have been. Following a year-long investigation, detectives are now believed to be ready to start charging in a scandal that’s become known as Promopro. The biggest fish has allegedly escaped the net, as police lack proof of the involvement of former foreign minister Alexandr Vondra in the affair. But some of his subordinates will face charges for influencing the choice of the company Promopro to organize conferences connected with the Czech presidency. It’s believed that at least CZK 135m was paid out to foreign accounts to companies with opaque ownership structures. The Czech government paid hundreds of millions of Czech crowns to Promopro and its suppliers for services such as translations and video conferencing. Detectives have apparently followed the trail of money from London, to the Caribbean to accounts in Austria.
