Final Word from Thursday, February 27, 2020
The conviction of Harvey Weinstein is bad news for all of the world's predators, and not just the sexual ones. The financial sharks should be just as jolted. If one of Hollywood's most powerful men can go to prison on such flimsy evidence, what might happen to those who left behind disgruntled business partners who are eager to talk and long paper trails of offshore companies and undeclared booty? Most vulnerable in the CR is probably Radovan Vítek of CPI. Who could ever imagine that a group of Czech supercrooks would get into a fight in a U.S court over their stolen money and allow the RICO Act to be invoked? It would be bad enough for Vítek if he had to hand over Kč 70bn, but what if the FBI got involved and turned the civil racketeering case into a criminal one? It could land all of these supercrooks in cells next to Weinstein at Rikers Island. Weinstein's conviction is a stark reminder that in this era of destruction, not even the rich and powerful are immune. [ Czech Republic Property Group Martin Roman ČEZ ]
Glossary of difficult words
to jolt - to give a surprise shock to someone;
flimsy - (of a pretext or account) weak and unconvincing;
disgruntled - angry or dissatisfied;
booty - valuable stolen goods;
RICO Act - (in the US) Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act;
stark - unpleasantly or sharply clear.