Final Word from Tuesday, February 15, 2005
Václav Fischer told F1 radio that his travel companies nearly went bust in 2003 because he devoted too much time to politics, had poor financial management and got hit by 9/11. In stepped natural-gas magnate Karel Komárek, who bought three Fischer companies for Kč 1 each and assumed the debt. Komárek now claims Fischer didn't reveal all the debt, and he's going after Fischer's personal assets. Fischer, in turn, claimed that Komárek is siphoning off assets and is ruining the Fischer name. Komárek's Czech Business Weekly called Fischer a loser who is apparently in deep financial trouble, and CBW's editor is resigning because Komárek's people reworked an earlier article about Fischer Travel. Vacation planners can't possibly know what to make of all this mudslinging. Komárek might have to sell out to Čedok while there's still something to sell. [Czech Republic Frekvence 1 Sept. 11, 2001, editorial independence bankruptcy Fischer vs. Fischer]