Final Word from Tuesday, October 22, 2013
When Antonín Koláček declared last week that he and the others convicted in Switzerland had no choice but to speak out about MUS, people started making bets about how long he would live. Yesterday, after not saying much for a full week, he stopped answering any questions at all. During that week he said nothing about how MUS's managers ripped off the coupon investors, nor about Martin Roman's later role in the affair. All Koláček said was that the cabinet of Miloš Zeman must have known that the MUS managers were behind the supposed investor, Appian, and that they therefore could not have cheated the Czech state. His partner in crime Petr Kraus repeated this, adding that the Zeman cabinet was under no obligation to sell them the shares. Such comments implicate Zeman and his ministers but do nothing at all to diminish the Swiss claim that the managers cheated the Czech state. All Koláček really achieved during his week of candor was to emphasize that Czech politicians don't always represent the interests of the Czech state. [Czech Republic Mostecká uhelná spol. DIK voucher]
Glossary of difficult words
to zip one's lips - to refrain from or stop talking;
to rip someone off - to cheat someone, esp. financially;
partner in crime - an accomplice or fellow conspirator;
candor - the quality of being open and honest in expression; frankness.