On Thursday, the Czech military police carried out criminal proceedings in an association called Group D in connection with the investigation of the possibility of a criminal act. TASR informs about this according to a report from the Novinky.cz server, which, citing a reliable source, stated that at least three people were detained.
In short:
- The Czech military police is investigating the association Group D for a crime
- Three people were detained on suspicion of organized fraud
- The investigation is in the initial phase with no charges filed
Among other things, the detainees are suspected of participating in an organized criminal group or participating in fraud.
Initial screening phase
Aleš Cimbala, the spokesman of the Municipal State Attorney’s Office in Prague, pointed out that the matter is currently in the initial phase of examination. The representatives of the aforementioned association, whose co-founder is the Czech actor Ondřej Vetchý and its honorary chairman is the Chief of the General Staff of the Czech Army Karel Řehka, said that they are ready to cooperate with law enforcement authorities.
According to Cimbalu, the purpose of the investigation is to clarify and verify facts that indicate that a criminal offense has been committed, Novinky.cz quotes.
“However, the further development of the concerned criminal matter cannot be deduced from the given actions. The criminal prosecution of a specific person has not yet been initiated,” Cimbala added.
Intervention of the military police
Lawyer Radek Ondruš confirmed the morning intervention of the military police, saying that three people, whom he represents, have been detained so far, Server writes. These are representatives of FPV Space, which was involved in the delivery of drones for Group D. The key figure of the company is former military policeman Zdeněk Poul.
David Špaček, a former member of the Military Intelligence, dealt with drones intended for Ukraine with him, and it was Poul, Špaček and the accountant of the mentioned company who were detained on Thursday, according to the lawyer. If charged, they face five to 12 years in prison just for participating in an organized crime group. They are also suspected of fraud and the criminal offense of violating the regulations on the control of the export of dual-use goods and technologies, that is, of the possible illegal export of military material to places of military conflict.
Persistent attacks on the association
The association Group D, whose website is currently unavailable, has collected hundreds of millions of Czech crowns since its inception, Novinky.cz reminds. Its honorary chairman is Řehka and the chairman is Ondřej Vetchý, who in the past filed a criminal complaint for defamation.
Group D has faced scrutiny and attacks practically since its inception, the server states. Despite the fact that the collection was transparent and the organizers publicly disclosed finances and supplies, according to the server, the association became the target of accusations and speculation, for example from politicians.
Minister of Defense Jana Černochová (ODS) even had the association checked by an internal inspection, Novinky.cz adds.
