Brno – Information has leaked from the file on the case of U.S. citizen Ronald Adams, former director general of the Czech Tatra lorry maker, charged with corruption, and key witnesses have got access to documents with classified data, his defence counsel Radek Ondrus told reporters today.
“Massive information leak has occurred. This is why we have initiated the investigation to find out whether the abuse of public office was committed,” Ondrus said.
The trial of Adams continues at the Brno Municipal Court today without him since he had asked for the court proceedings in his absence beforehand.
According to the charges, Adams offered a 20-million-crown bribe to then deputy defence minister Martin Bartak in exchange for the Defence Ministry placing further military orders with Tatra, during the negotiations about the supply of off-road vehicles for the Czech military in 2009.
If found guilty, Adams faces up to five years in prison.
Bartak, who accused Adams of corruption, and arms dealer Michal Smrz are witnesses in this case.
Bartak said Adams had talked about the bribe at the IDET trade fair in Brno in 2009. Adams dismissed it.
However, Bartak and Smrz are charged with bribery in an interconnected case.
Smrz´s testimony was read in court in his absence today.
Smrz, director of the MPI Group arms company, testified that Adams had offered a bribe to him, too, previously for arranging orders for Tatra. Later Adams wanted to hire him as a lobbyist and he offered him 20 million crowns to secure a meeting with the prime minister, Smrz said.
“I did not offer a meeting with (then PM Mirek) Topolanek, he (Adams) asked for it himself,” Smrz said, calling Adams “a liar and fraudster.”
However, Ondrus said today´s testimony by Smrz was not connected with the alleged bribery at the IDET fair.
Smrz and Bartak are accused in another corruption case. Bartak allegedly asked for a bribe to solve the problem Tatra faced with the supplies for the Czech military. Adams will be a witness in this case that is yet to be proceeded.
The Prague Municipal Court will deal with the case.