Final Word from Tuesday, July 16, 2013
When Euro asked Senior Olomouc State Prosecutor Ivo Ištvan the question that is on many people's minds - Why haven't godfathers like Roman Janoušek and Ivo Rittig been charged with anything? - he said that a public appeal for someone to be charged is reminiscent of times long past. Really? New facts are emerging by the week that pique the public's curiosity about the prosecutor's behavior. ČT's Reportéři gave the names of companies that apparently agreed to pay protection money to Alseda s.r.o. - run by Rittig's lawyers - through trumped-up leases on consignment warehouses at Homolka hospital. One witness said that such payments were the only way to get business at Homolka. Among the companies on the list are three major world suppliers, Biotronic, B. Braun Medical and Medtronic. Asking why Rittig's lawyers haven't been charged in this is hardly the same as publicly condemning Milada Horáková.[Czech Republic magazine Czech Television TV Šachta Partners MSB Legal vypalné]
Glossary of difficult words
reminiscent - tending to remind one of something;
to pique - to stimulate or arouse (curiosity or interest);
protection money - the money paid to criminals, esp. on a regular basis (the Czech word used was vypalné);
trumped-up - bogus, false, fabricated;
consignment - a business arrangement in which a supplier is paid for goods after the goods are sold.