Final Word from Tuesday, August 6, 2019
Five Vietnamese went on trial yesterday on charges of participating in a bribery ring along with suspended Judge Ivan Elischer of Prague Superior Court. The NCOZ crime squad stated in its 2018 annual report that a Prague Superior Court judge provided members of a Vietnamese criminal structure with nonpublic information that allowed Vietnamese criminal organizations to influence sentencing. Only one judge was charged with such a crime last year, so there is no mistaking who was meant. Never once did the police use the word "alleged." The annual report also makes broad generalizations about the Chinese diaspora: "This ethnic group, just like the Vietnamese community, is engaged mainly in the importation of goods to the CR, and then to the entire EU, and within these activities commits tax and other crimes." If a regular person made such a broad statement, he or she could face criminal charges for inciting racial hatred. The presumption of innocence is guaranteed under Art. 40 of the Czech Bill of Rights, but the NCOZ crime squad doesn't need a court to tell it who is guilty. [ Czech Republic corruption bribing ]
Glossary of difficult words
ring - a group of people engaged in a shared enterprise, esp. one involving illegal or unscrupulous activity;
to sentence - to declare the punishment decided for (an offender);
to incite - to encourage or stir up (violent or unlawful behavior).