Honest policemen

TV Nova reported that thieves stole the purse last week of the wife of ex-Federal Interior Minister Ján Langoš. They removed her cellphone and discarded the bag with the rest of the contents. The police discovered it in the bushes and were surprised to find an envelope still inside with Kč 2m in cash. TV viewers used to reports about police corruption might have been amazed to learn that the officers returned the money to her. What a great public-interest story. Honest policemen! Instead, though, TV Nova concentrated on Mrs. Langošová. Where did she get so much money? Why was she carrying it in cash? She refused to comment, viewers were told, raising even deeper suspicions. CEO Vladimír Železný of TV Nova often complains about the criminalization of businesspeople and the suspicions Czechs have about wealth. His own station is fueling the fire.