Safety in numbers
The cabinet is to decide tomorrow on a Kè 6bn ($204m)
state loan guarantee for Sazka's new hockey stadium,
and the media and public opinion are strongly
opposed. Never have the media been so united against
Sazka. It has aggressively attacked its opponents in the
past, but now there's safety in numbers. The media can
insist that Sazka disclose not only the financial figures
for its stadium, but also details about where the money
from its monopoly lottery business goes. Czech
Television has done the most in this respect so far,
pointing out a Kè 1.3bn hole in Sazka's finances in
2000 and questioning Sazka's contributions to Czech
sports on its Fakta show last night. CEO Aleš Hušák
said on the TV station that Sazka is the only large
Czech financial institution that hasn't been tunneled or
plundered since 1989. Czech TV, and others, would
like him to prove it.
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