Former head of Czech presidential office charged with EU subsidy fraud

5 months ago 20

The Czech prosecutor has charged the former head of the Czech presidential office, Vratislav Mynář, with subsidy fraud and damaging the financial interests of the European Union.

After more than three years of investigation, an indictment has been issued in the case involving Mynář’s company, Clever Management. Mynář could face prison and fines if found guilty, Czech media Seznam Zprávy reported on Monday.

Mynář and his lawyer have not yet commented on the prosecutor’s decision.

Mynář, a Czech businessman, former civil servant and politician, was the head of the office of the former Czech president Miloš Zeman from March 2013 to March 2023.

The case concerns the reconstruction of Mynář’s guesthouse in Osvětimany, a small town in the south-east of the country, for which the company Clever Management received a subsidy of CZK 5.9 million (€237,000) from EU funds in 2011, which the court later ruled was an unjustified payment.

Years later, however, the company returned the money as it could help Mynář in the event of an indictment.

The charge is based on Mynář’s failure to truthfully state in his application for a grant to build the guesthouse that the same property had previously received a grant from another source.

Mynář was very close to former president Zeman and a very influential figure in Czech politics.

Zeman tried to help Mynář with the case during his presidential term, as he repeatedly asked Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala (ODS/ECR) to co-sign the cancellation order related to Mynář’s subsidy case, which Fiala refused to do.

The subsidy case is not Mynář’s only problem, as the former head of the presidential office also made public dubious information about Zeman’s health during his hospitalisation.

He also failed to obtain a security clearance despite working with sensitive documents.

(Aneta Zachová | Euractiv.cz)