Final Word from Monday, October 16, 2023
There are rumors in business circles that the bribe for buying Net4Gas was up to Kč 8bn. Instead of explaining the suspicious purchase after being criticized for it by Daniel Křetínský's Blesk, Industry Min. Jozef Síkela (STAN) went on the attack and accused Křetínský in the Financial Times of using his newspaper to promote his own business interests. This prompted Daniel Častvaj of Křetínský's EPH to tell CzechCrunch that Síkela overpaid for Net4Gas by about Kč 23-27bn. This would indeed leave room for a big bribe. Where is the BIS counterintelligence agency when you need it? There are four main possibilities: 1) BIS and its foreign partners monitored the deal and found it to be squeaky clean; 2) BIS monitored the deal, found that it wasn't squeaky clean and is in the process of taking the appropriate action; 3) BIS is in cahoots with Síkela; 4) BIS isn't in cahoots with Síkela but decided that Net4Gas is so important to Czech national interests that a little baksheesh can be tolerated, at least for now. [ Czech Republic spy agency natural bas pipeline bribery corruption ]
Glossary of difficult words
to go on the attack - to act in a strong, determined way to defeat someone or something, often in a game or competition;
to prompt someone to do something - to cause someone to take a course of action;
squeaky clean - completely clean; beyond reproach;
to be in cahoots with - to collude or conspire together secretly;
baksheesh/backsheesh - a tip or bribe.