Final Word from Friday, July 20, 2007
Is there any escaping corruption in the CR? A survey by HN and the Economic Chamber found that 50.3% of managers responding said they'd give a bribe if it'd win them a contract. Energy Envoy Václav Bartuška said that towns will need to be "bribed" to convince them to host repositories for spent nuclear fuel. Some towns in the area of the Brdy military installation say that Radar Spokesman Tomáš Klvaňa is offering them infrastructure bribes to agree to host the U.S. radar station. (Klvaňa denied it.) The U.S. itself is dangling billions in contracts in front of Czechs as an enticement for accepting the radar. The U.S. has been one of the biggest critics of Czech corruption, writing in its report on human-rights practices that it is widespread and systemic. This makes it all the more important for the U.S. to ensure that the radar decision is transparent and completely aboveboard.[Czech Republic base bribery missile defense shield United States]