Police raid VZP and ten pharmaceutical firms; former deputy head detained
The National Centre Against Organised Crime conducted a search on Thursday at the VZP building and approximately ten pharmaceutical companies. The case relates to agreements between the insurance company and the firms. Petr Honěk, a former deputy head of VZP, was detained.
NCOZ raid at VZP and pharmaceutical firms: former deputy head Honěk detained
The National Centre Against Organised Crime (NCOZ) conducted criminal proceedings activities on Thursday at the offices of the General Health Insurance Company (VZP) and at approximately ten pharmaceutical companies. Medical Journal was the first to report on the raid, a report also cited by Aktuálně.cz. According to the server, the case relates to agreements concluded in the past between pharmaceutical firms and the insurance company.
Server Odkryto.cz reported that police detained Petr Honěk, a former deputy head of VZP and former head of its Ústí regional branch. Honěk currently leads the board of the Příbram hospital. The hospital's spokesman Martin Janota told the Czech News Agency in response to a query that Honěk has been taking previously planned long-term leave since Thursday.
VZP spokesman Viktorie Plívová confirmed the progress of the investigation and assured the public of the institution's cooperation with law enforcement authorities. "Today, activities by law enforcement authorities began in the VZP building. The management of the office and all its employees are providing investigators with full and maximum possible cooperation. Our primary concern is transparent and thorough investigation of the entire matter," Plívová said to Medical Journal.
Plívová also explained why VZP would not comment further on the case: the criminal proceedings are in a preliminary and non-public phase, and further commentary could disrupt the investigation. According to her, the insurance company's operations are not affected by the raid.
David Kolář, director of the Association of the Innovative Pharmaceutical Industry (AIFP), confirmed to Medical Journal that the NCOZ raid involved multiple pharmaceutical firms. "The investigation does not concern our member companies, but a third party," Kolář emphasised, and added that the companies contacted and associated with AIFP are fully cooperating with police.
Among the affected companies is Boehringer Ingelheim, according to PR manager Markéta Kolanova, which confirmed the raid to Medical Journal.
NCOZ spokesman Jaroslav Ibehej refused to provide details. "I can only state in general terms that our unit carried out criminal proceedings activities today. We will not provide further information for now," he wrote to server Odkryto.cz.
According to the same server, the case includes suspicion of theft of sensitive VZP data. Pavel Pavlík (ODS), the deputy for healthcare of the Central Bohemian Region governor, said he had no information about the possible detention of the head of Příbram hospital.
This is the second major NCOZ raid at the Czech Republic's largest health insurance company in less than a year. In early November last year, the centre raided VZP headquarters in connection with public procurement and detained 19 people. Subsequently, it charged 13 of them with obtaining an advantage in the award of a public contract, tax evasion, money laundering, bribery, accepting a bribe and breach of rules on economic competition. In that case, VZP appeared as the injured party.
Source: Aktuálně.cz