Final Word from Wednesday, July 16, 2008
When Kroll's top brass gathers for a postmortem of the Čunek case, it will have a long list of pros and cons to assess. On the plus side is the huge visibility the case has provided. An unknown company became a household name in a matter of weeks. In the process, it gained access to ministers and other key officials. Under normal circumstances, this would be priceless publicity. On the minus side is the issue of first impressions. Given Čunek's reputation, any exercise that exonerates him will inevitably leave an aftertaste, no matter how esteemed the investigator. Kroll, furthermore, was able to clear Čunek only by smearing his former secretary, Marcela Urbanová, a woman who seems like a saint next to Čunek. The bottom line is that Kroll will likely walk away from this with the image of someone to call when the client wants "flexibility." Only Kroll knows whether this is a pro or a con.[Czech Republic Jiří Associates Karel Schwarzenberg]
Glossary of difficult words
postmortem - an analysis or evaluation after the fact;
top brass - people in positions of authority;
pros and cons - arguments in favor and against;
to assess - to evaluate;
household name - a person or thing that is well known to the public;
first impression - the initial feeling or perception one has of something;
to exonerate - to clear or absolve someone of blame;
aftertaste - a taste remaining in the mouth after eating or drinking something;
esteemed - respected and admired;
to smear - to taint or damage (someone's reputation).