Brno, May 17 (CTK) – The long awaited trial of Czech Tatra lorry maker’s director general Ronald Adams suspected of corruption will open at the Brno Municipal Court on June 6, the court’s spokeswoman Gabriela Stockova told CTK Friday.

The U.S. manager is suspected of having offered a 20 million crown bribe during negotiations about the supply of off-road vehicles to the Czech military.

He was accused of corruption by former Czech defence minister Martin Bartak who himself has been charged in the case. Adams allegedly talked about the bribe at the IDET trade fair in Brno in 2009.

Adams admitted to daily Lidove noviny (LN) that the words about a bribe were pronounced, but that he was only testing the situation.

According to the police, Adams offered Bartak a bribe at IDET in exchange for the Defence Ministry placing further military orders with Tatra.

Adams dismisses the accusation. The police wanted to take him into custody, but the court rejected it.

Adams said he had several negotiations with influential arms trader and lobbyist Michal Smrz in February 2008. Smrz allegedly conveyed to him high-placed people’s requirement for a bribe that was to ensure a problem-free completion of the delivery of 588 off-road vehicles to the Czech military for 2.7 billion crowns. The accusation is allegedly based on Smrz and Bartak’s testimony.

http://praguemonitor.com/2013/05/20/trial-against-tatra-ceo-adams-begin-june