Final Word from Friday, May 12, 2006
Quite an industry is rising up around criticizing ČSOB. It's not just people from Euro magazine and PPF anymore. It's also Nomura-related people, the IPB crowd, ODS, Lidové noviny, the SOS consumer group, Mojmír Hampl of ČKA, talkative police investigators and some of ČSOB's competitors, who mumble about how politically active their rival has become. At first glance, it seemed that even ČSOB Board Member Jan Lamser had joined the bash. He essentially admitted in MFD that ČSOB had hired CA IB investment bank and a ČSSD-friendly lawyer to influence the decision on a big Post Office deal. How they accomplished it, he suggested, was up to them. Sounded more like something a disgruntled ex-employee would say. But maybe all the heat is catching up with ČSOB. "Fix this problem," Lamser seemed to be telling his lobbyists, "or you're going down with us." [Czech Republic Česká pošta Poštovní spořitelna Česká konsolidační agentura MF Dnes LN]