Final Word from Monday, August 10, 2009
Ex-spy chief Karel Randák provided a useful tutorial in LN on Sat. for journalists wanting to keep the Tuscany scandal alive. Did Marek Dalík actually pay for use of the famous villa, he wondered? Is there a connection between Dalík and J&T, which mediated the purchase of the villa by a Liechtenstein institution? Did J&T win any state contracts where Dalík acted as a lobbyist? Do Mirek Topolánek and Dalík have accounts at J&T Banka with special privileges, as is rumored? And will journalists use this case to look more closely at whether CEO Martin Roman of ČEZ has an ownership interest in Škoda Plzeň? This scandal bothers Roman and his lobbyist Vladimír Johanes (also rumored to be an owner of Škoda/Appian) much more than Topolánek, Randák surmised. If an ownership connection is shown between Roman and Škoda, he said, Roman will be finished in business. Perhaps Randák was also sending a message to Roman's fellow board members at ČEZ. Are they prepared to be dragged down with him?[Czech Republic Holding intelligence service]
Glossary of difficult words
skin-saving time - time for each person to look out for himself in the interest of assuring his own survival;
tutorial - lesson, training session;
to surmise - to suppose that something is true without having evidence to confirm it.