Final Word from Wednesday, May 16, 2012
The wheels of justice turn slowly, and David Rath was finally
arrested yesterday for the crimes he committed as president of
the Czech Medical Chamber. Not really, of course. He was
actually arrested for new corrupt acts involving Kč 7m in cash
delivered to him in a shoebox (he says wine box, because that's
a lot easier to build a cover story around). The police and
prosecutor deny that it's a political hit job, but in a way it is. If
the laws had been enforced against our suspect a decade ago,
when his proclivity for throwing dirty money down Rath holes
first became apparent, he would be no more than a bad memory
today. Instead, he'll be in the headlines for weeks. It's sad news
for ČSSD, of course. But things could get even sadder for the
party if, as Petr Nečas apparently wants, the police's attention
shifts before this fall's elections from David "Shoebox" Rath to
Bohuslav "Suitcase" Sobotka.[Czech Republic corruption bribery MP Central Bohemian
Governor Gov.]
Glossary of difficult words
cover story - a fictitious account invented to conceal a person's identity or behavior;
hit job - an attempt to murder or otherwise inflict damage on someone;
proclivity - a tendency to choose or do something regularly; an inclination;
to throw money down a rathole - to waste money.