Final Word from Tuesday, September 13, 2005
Jiří Paroubek denied that he's the one trying to get rid of Stanislav Gross. He told Euro that if he wanted to fight Gross, he'd find a less-complicated way than the Unipetrol scandal. However, several things still point to Paroubek. For example, he hasn't explained why TV Nova gave him the incriminating tapes before they were aired; why his office leaked the story to the press; or why the part of the tape potentially incriminating him in the alleged bribe-taking was never aired. Paroubek also failed to tell the full truth about Robert Piksa, the external adviser widely assumed to have worn the microphone to the fateful meetings. There's a Paroubek-Piksa-Zeman triangle that could be the key. So far, most everyone has been looking for a single instigator. But this latest Gross scandal is starting to smell like something Paroubek and Zeman cooked up during their weekend together in July.[Czech Republic Miloš Zeman premier prime minister PKN Orlen Orlengate ČSSD chairman]