Businessman and influential lobbyist Robert Knobloch, who since last week has been facing charges in the case surrounding the distribution of transport contracts in Olomouc, may be released from custody.
The Brno City Court accepted bail in the amount of one million crowns in his case. If the prosecutor does not file a complaint against it, Knobloch will be released.
The reason why the prosecutor suggested custody for Knobloch was the fear of his escape. The court is now waiting to see if an appeal will be filed against the decision to accept bail. If not, the accused lobbyist could leave custody at the end of the week.
“Today, the cash guarantee was only credited to the court’s account, when considering the fact that the court accepted the acceptance of the cash guarantee, it will subsequently be decided to release the accused from custody,” said Petra Láníčková, spokeswoman for the Brno Municipal Court, to ČTK.
According to Olomouc deputy chief prosecutor Radek Bartoš, the public prosecutor can file a complaint against this within three days. He indicated that he would not hand it in, so Knobloch should be released from custody.
Knobloch’s lawyer, Vlastimil Němec, said that he did not have time to comment on the case, as he was currently in court.
Detectives allege in the indictment that Knobloch was directly involved in influencing public highway management contracts. As evidenced by the wiretaps, he also decided who would be its director. And this despite the fact that he did not hold any public office.
“He took a position at the top of the given organized criminal group, thanks to the built-up very strong influence in the business-political environment not only at the regional level, but also at the national level,” the police wrote about Knobloch in the indictment.
From 2006 until last week, he was a member of the ODS, in the era of Nečas’s cabinet he also led a regional organization in the Olomouc region, he was a member of the executive council, i.e. the highest party body.
It was at that time that he drew public attention to himself for the first time. Hospodářské noviny noted in 2012 that the inconspicuous official and the companies connected to him were the most important sponsors of the Citizen Democrats in 2011.
