Final Word from Wednesday, March 20, 2019
Právo reported yesterday that the NCOZ crime squad explained in a search warrant how things worked at the ÚOHS antitrust office: Chair Petr Rafaj gave illegal instructions about how the first-round decisions should read to Eva Kubišová, who ran the office's public-procurement section, and she then gave instructions to her own subordinates in a way that assured that Rafaj's commands were fully followed. Kubišová's underlings weren't supposed to know that the orders were coming from Rafaj. This explains a lot, but there is an obvious missing link. A first-round antitrust ruling is no small matter. Even if there is criminal foresight and criminal intent, the ruling itself must get past Kubišová's staffers and hold up under legal scrutiny. A first-round ruling can't just be pulled out of thin air. Rafaj is no legal whiz, and it is highly doubtful that he was the author of the instructions he gave to Kubišová. If Karl Rove was George W. Bush's brain, who was Petr Rafaj's? [ Czech Republic competition anti-monopoly ]
Glossary of difficult words
underling - a person lower in status or rank;
missing link - a thing that is needed in order to complete a series, provide continuity, or gain complete knowledge;
foresight - the ability to predict what will happen or be needed in the future;
staffer - a member of the staff of an organization;
to get past someone - to be accepted by someone;
to hold up - to sustain or be affirmed;
scrutiny - critical observation or examination;
whiz/whizz - a person who is extremely clever at something.