Former MP Balaštíková accused of influencing Zlín hygiene authority
Police have accused former ANO MP Margita Balaštíková of influencing inspections by the Zlín hygiene authority. Three people are being prosecuted in total in the case.
Former ANO MP accused of allegedly influencing hygiene inspections in Zlín
Criminal investigators have accused former ANO MP Margita Balaštíková of suspected influence over inspections conducted by the Zlín regional hygiene authority, according to reports by news server denik.cz on Friday evening, citing Czech Television. Police are prosecuting three people in the case on suspicion of abuse of official authority and complicity. The prosecution was confirmed by Zlín police spokeswoman Šárka Trnková. Balaštíková has repeatedly denied the allegations.
The foundation of the case consists of recordings published by news server Seznam Zprávy in summer last year. According to the recordings, Balaštíková used her influence over the hygiene authority's leadership to have its staff initiate inspections of ChemProgres, a company managed by her former husband Josef Balaštík. In one of the recordings, according to the server, she was allegedly instructing the Zlín hygiene authority director Eva Sedláčková to "crack down on" the company. Balaštíková has described the recordings as forgeries.
According to Seznam Zprávy, Josef Balaštík secretly recorded the conversations in 2023 at their shared home following a series of mutual conflicts. The ANO party decided to remove the MP from its slate for the parliamentary elections following the publication of the information. Balaštíková then announced that she would suspend her membership in the party.
Source: Google News CZ — Crime (cs)