The scandal surrounding the 2014 munitions depot blasts which the Czech government has blamed on Russian agents has taken a new twist. The news site Seznam has accused Deputy Prime Minister Jan Hamáček of having planned to hush up Russia’s involvement in the blasts in return for one million Sputnik V vaccines and the right to host a US-Russian summit on Czech soil.
The incriminating article on the Seznam news site exploded on the Czech political scene just days after Prague appeared to have gained the upper hand in the diplomatic stand-off with Moscow. Any gratification over the fact that Moscow accepted the Czech Republic’s demand for a parity representation at the two countries’ embassies –which will send home 63 Russian diplomats at the end of the month-quickly disappeared amid fresh controversy on the home scene. First President Miloš Zeman, who is known for his pro-Russian orientation, cast doubt on the findings of the Czech intelligence service –and shortly after,
Prime Minister Andrej Babiš has denied any involvement in Deputy Prime Minister Jan Hamáček’s planned visit to Russia, saying he had learnt about it from media reports and had not signed any papers sanctioning it. The stated intention of the visit at the time was for Mr. Hamáček to acquire Sputnik vaccines for the Czech Republic. “I heard about it in the media and I thought it was a bad idea from the start, I am glad it did not take place.” the prime minister told the daily Právo.
Deputy Prime Minister Jan Hamáček of the Social Democrats is under fire from all sides after the news site Seznam.cz accused him of wanting to hush up the involvement of Russian agents in the 2014 Vrbětice explosions in return for one million Sputnik V vaccines and a US-American summit in Prague. Seznam made the claim citing several independent sources and linking the story to Jan Hamáček’s planned visit to Russia just hours before the Vrbětice scandal broke.
The opposition parties are demanding an explanation from Jan Hamáček and from Prime Minister Andrej Babiš, who reportedly signed papers okaying the deputy prime minister’s trip to Moscow.
Demonstration Against Inclination to Russia to Occur on Thursday
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Million Moments for Democracy, a civic organization of pro-democratic nature, has announced a demonstration against the inclination of President Miloš Zeman and other Czech politicians towards Russia.
Planned on Thursday, demonstrations will be held in Prague and dozens of other cities, including Plzeň, Hradec Králové, Ústí nad Labem and Brno.
“Instead of supporting his own country, the president repeats the same fairy tales as pro-Russian disinformation sites and Russian propaganda. His continued presence in the office is a security threat to our republic,” said Benjamin Roll, chairman of the organization.