Final Word from Thursday, October 30, 2014
Few Czechs have ever seen Petr Kellner. Some doubt that he even exists. Others have no idea if he is Czech, German or Russian, whether he is Christian, Jewish or atheist, whether he was an StB agent, KGB agent or money-changer (or all three), whether he was running Václav Klaus or Klaus was running him (or neither), whether his father was a waiter or the head of the Comecon office in Moscow. Few know that he almost died from prostate cancer a few years ago. Less is probably known about Kellner than about anyone else in the world who plays such a dominant role within a given society. But now Kellner's affairs are becoming more public. The protection he has enjoyed from the Czech press is slipping. There is an open debate about whether he is intentionally trying to screw minority shareholders of O2 CR, and his influence on Miloš Zeman is now obvious to anyone who cares to look. The question, really, is whether Kellner is bothered by this sudden media exposure or whether it is all part of his diabolic plan. [Czech Republic PPF moneychanger blackmarket]
Glossary of difficult words
to run someone – to be in charge or manage someone (such as an agent);
Comecon – the Council for Mutual Economic Assistance, an economic association of communist Eastern European Countries;
to slip – to pass or change to a lower, worse or different position;
to screw someone – to cheat or swindle someone;
diabolic – devilish; being so evil as to recall the Devil.