SPD MP Foldyna suspected of domestic violence; police seized his firearms
MP for the Freedom and Direct Democracy movement Jaroslav Foldyna is suspected of domestic violence. Police ordered him to leave his home in Děčín and seized several firearms.
SPD MP Foldyna suspected of domestic violence; police seized his firearms
Jaroslav Foldyna, an MP for the Freedom and Direct Democracy movement, is suspected of domestic violence. Police ordered him to leave his home in Děčín, where he lives with his wife, for two weeks last week. Police also seized several firearms from him, Czech Radio News (Radiožurnál) has discovered. Foldyna said he is innocent. The information was first reported by Lidové noviny.
When questioned by journalists on Wednesday in the Chamber of Deputies, he confirmed he had been ordered to leave his residence. When asked whether he considered himself innocent, he answered three times: "Of course." However, he refused to provide details about the case. He also declined to comment on the entire matter when asked by the Czech News Agency (ČTK) and hung up.
The MP's wife told Radiožurnál that she cannot say anything because she is under a police embargo. Lukáš Otipka, the regional prosecutor in Děčín, commented only in general terms. He said that criminal proceedings in the investigation phase are always non-public and at this point he has no comment. His office was due to issue a press release on Thursday.
The suspected incident, in which the MP allegedly attacked his wife, allegedly occurred last week. Police subsequently ordered Foldyna to leave his home on the edge of Děčín for fourteen days and prohibited him from any contact with the woman. He has not yet been charged with anything.
An amendment to the Civil Code, which came into force last July, extended the period for ordering a person suspected of domestic violence to leave their home from ten to fourteen days. During this entire period, such a person must not approach the victim or contact them. Breaching the ban is prosecuted as obstructing the execution of an official decision, which carries a penalty of up to two years' imprisonment.
Jaroslav Foldyna has been active in politics since 2000. He is almost continuously a representative of the Ústí Region, where in the past he also held the position of deputy governor. He has been an MP since 2010. He was first a member of the ČSSD, but moved to the SPD movement in 2020.
Source: Lidové noviny
Source: Lidovky.cz