The transport company had to pay out almost 1.8 million to people from Redlo – Nauzal

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The Prague transport company sent a total of 1,784,184 crowns to the accounts of three managers who, according to the police accusation, were members of an organized criminal group around businessman Michal Redl.

This is the severance pay that the city-owned company had to pay after it dismissed managers due to criminal prosecution and suspicion that they were involved in influencing contracts and bribery.

In addition, it is likely that the money – in the amount of 1.6 million crowns – will even be given to former economic director Matej Augustín, whom the police, according to investigative documents, ranks as one of the key members of the prosecuted “criminal” group.

Nauzal has confirmed that the former head of the information technology unit, Luděk Šteffel, the former head of the legal department, Dalibor Kučera, and also the former head of the Department of Technical Administration of Buildings, Martina Vejsada, received the money these days.

“They paid the severance pay to which they were entitled,” Šteffel’s lawyer Miroslav Synek said about the payment of the money. In the same way, Martin Vejsada’s lawyer told the editors that his client received the money this week.

The transport company resisted payment of severance pay for about a year. He wanted to place them in judicial custody, but the Municipal Court in Prague rejected this option.

“If the DPP did not pay the severance pay, there would be a threat of an increase in these amounts by the cost of the proceedings, at least in the amount of several hundred thousand crowns, which would be in direct contradiction to the duty to act with the care of a proper manager,” explained the payment of the money, the head of the Department of Communications of the transport company, Daniel Šabík, with an appeal to the legal analyzes that the municipal firm had drawn up.

In the event that Šteffel, Kučera and Vejsada are finally convicted, according to Šabík, the transport company will recover the paid departure fee.

In the resolution on the initiation of criminal prosecution, the investigators described that the mentioned trio of managers participated in ensuring that in at least five cases transport companies of the company, which were preferred by Michal Redl’s group, won contracts. For which she then allegedly received bribes. According to the police, the appointed managers received their instructions directly from Redl.

The police also documented how Šteffel, Vejsada and Kučera met Redl in person in an apartment in the center of Prague and they also had encrypted mobile phones available for communication.

In addition, according to Seznam Zpráv findings, the transport company is already counting on the fact that it will have to pay the severance and annual bonus to its former economic director and board member Matej Augustín, whom the police document describes as one of the key figures of the accused organized group and the system that, according to the detectives, corrupt orders.

In Augustín’s case, the municipal firm deposited 1,644,796 crowns into a court deposit. Now – according to the document that the management of the transport company presented to the members of the supervisory board last week – the company will ask for them back. Which would indicate that even in the dispute with Augustine, the transport company would not be successful in court.

The transport company did not explain the situation or its next procedure. He limited himself to the announcement that no decision had yet been made on the payment of money to Augustín. “In the case of the payment of remuneration for the former economic director of the DPP, the court has not yet decided on judicial custody,” said spokesman Šabík.

Even Augustín’s side did not comment on the matter. Augustín himself did not respond to Seznam Práv questions.

At the same time, the police officers claim that it was Augustina’s group around Michal Redl and the then deputy mayor Petr Hlubuček who purposefully put him in charge of this municipal company so that he could manipulate contracts and secure bribes.

The details illustrating Augustín and his role in the accused group include a story that was also captured by the police in the documents about the case – according to them, Augustín is the author of the idea of ​​paper business cards with the number 508, which, according to the police, the accused distributed to selected people from whom the group could receive corruption get money.

In the case of Dozimetr, the police first started prosecuting 13 people last June, including Michal Redl or the then deputy mayor for STAN Petr Hlubuček. Shortly after, one of the accused committed suicide.

Another four people were charged by the police in April this year. For example, former ODS MP Marek Šnajdr or former deputy director of VZP Tomáš Knížek were added to the list. And subsequently, the police also started prosecuting three companies.