Final Word from Thursday, May 16, 2019

When one of the CR's richest men testifies that he gave Kč 508,000 in jewelry to the lover and close co-worker of the PM and didn't expect anything in return, it should raise alarm bells in newsrooms and prosecutor's offices across the country. But the billionaire in question is Daniel Křetínský, who is also one of the country's largest media owners. Not only that, at the time of the gifting to Jana Nagyová, Křetínský's partner in EPH was Petr Kellner, who manages to control media he doesn't even own. If the media had dared to look into the situation, they would have found that Křetínský and Kellner tried in 2012 to buy 49% and management control of SPP Infrastructure of Slovakia, which is the monopoly importer of Russian natural gas. The Slovak cabinet put off a decision in the matter until soon after PM Robert Fico came to Prague on Oct. 29, 2012, and spoke about it with Nagyová's boss and lover, PM Petr Nečas. The deal then sailed through the Slovak cabinet ... and within days Jana got a Kč 350,000 Cartier necklace. As Křetínský explained in court, he gives generously to those around him. [ Czech Republic EP Holding ]