SURVEY OF CZECH PRESS, 10-8-1993 by Jan Jarab

Daily newspapers surveyed (in alphabetical order): Cesky denik, Lidova demokracie, Lidove noviny, Mlada fronta Dnes, Prace, Rude pravo, Svobodne slovo, Telegraf. Weekly: Respekt.

Most Czech media still concentrate on the affair in which former Security Service agent Wallis is accused of having sold economic information (and possibly some materials about the private life of Czech politicians) to enterpreneur Viktor Kozeny, who scored a huge success last year when his clever media campaign resulted in the fact that a huge percentage of Czech citizens entrusted their "coupon privatization coupons" to his company, Harvard Capital and Consulting. Thereafter, Kozeny's name became almost synonymous with the "coupon privatization" program devised by Vaclav Klaus.

CESKY DENIK (right-wing), usually pro-Klaus but independent-minded, leads the campaign against Kozeny as well as the unusually harsh criticism of the Prime Minister himself. CD comments especially on the Premier's expression of full support for Kozeny on a recent press conference. (JJ: The Premier gave full support to Kozeny's claims that he had not been paying for information to Wallis and that, on the contrary, Wallis had been blackmailing him. The idea that Kozeny would buy information from Wallis was "absurd", according to the Premier.) So far only Wallis is prosecuted; however, the prosecution is charging him with "selling state secrets", not blackmail. It is fairly obvious, then - writes CD - that the prosecutor doesn't share Kozeny's version, and that the Premier has quite inexplicably put all his stakes on the honesty of Kozeny. CD also questions why Kozeny himself is not prosecuted.

The owner of CD, Josef Kudlacek, comments on the Premier's statement that the "playing of this card is...an evil ideological attack on the transformation of this country, on the privatization process". Such hysteric rhetoric reminds us of the old Communist methods, says Kudlacek. And although it is understable that the credit of the privatization program could be shaken if its star, Viktor Kozeny, would fall, it is extremely unwise for the Premier to give such an unconditional support to the enterpreneur - and he will have to explain it. If he is unable to do so, we will have to realize that the future of this country and its economic reform doesn't stand and fall with one man (Klaus), says Kudlacek.

LIDOVA DEMOKRACIE (Catholic) quotes President Vaclav Havel's cautious reaction to the affair. The President says (understandably) that only the court can decide and it makes no sense to speculate.

LD also informs about Romfest, the festival of Romany (Gypsy) music, which took place in Straznice on the weekend. The festival was organized by Dr.Emil Scuka, leader of the Romany Citizens Initiative (who is also a member of the General Council of the Radical Party, JJ). It was considered a success.

LIDOVE NOVINY (liberal) comment extensively on the second affair of this period which concerns a police officer from Pardubice, Otakar Kracik, who was arrested by other policemen in dubious circumstances in December 1992 but charges against him were brought much later - i.e., claims that he had enabled substantial tax evasion on alcohol. He remains in custody, and yesterday his wife has also been taken into custody after she claimed that local police officers had threatened her. It seems, however, that the prosecution of Kracik relies only on the testimony of a former agent of the Communist Secret Police, who appeared on TV with claims implicating the Interior Minister and the Czech Police Director in the crime. Yesterday this witness, who wasn't in custody, was beaten unconscious by unknown assailants. (JJ: The affair has numerous implications: if the agent's accusations are false, it is obvious that the East Bohemian Police Department have started a mafia-styled effort to get rid not only of Kracik, but al

so of the Interior Minister himself. It is very strange, too, that the agent's statements were put on TV while other participants in the case were not, which raises significant doubts about the role of the TC channel CT 1 in the case.)

RUDE PRAVO (left-wing) comments on the facts concerning the friendship between Viktor Kozeny and ODS Vice-Chairman Petr Cermak. Last December, shortly before the arrest of Wallis, Cermak (as Federal Interior Minister) responded favorably to Kozeny's demand for police protection; moreover, he gave Kozeny, who is his tennis partner, a personal gift - a pistol - as an award for his "courage in denouncing the blackmailer".