Jiří Kotek

Prize for Courage 2016             248 832 CZK

Undaunted “Wild West” man

Few people in in the history of the Czech Republic seem to be as enduring and steadfast a “troublemaker” who would so dauntlessly disrupt the set ways, or rather colossal disorders. Czech Television reports on his unending struggle with corruption and clientelism in Karlovy Vary show him sporting a Stetson leather hat, the kind worn by heroes in the American Western movies. The hat tells the story. Karlovy Vary is a kind of blend of the Czech “Wild West”, informed by eastern mentality. The Magnificent Seven probably would not be up to such an unlikely combination. Indeed, Jiří Kotek virtually stands alone—for many years—in his fight against the local political-business clique of white collars.

Way back at the university, at the turn of the 1970s/1980s, he had first-hand experience with the enemy that he chose to confront. He was conditionally suspended as a student in 1979 for “smearing” the President of the Republic, and was finally expelled three weeks before his state examinations in 1983 for taking part in an “anti-state protest”. He was allowed to complete his education at a later date, in 1984. In the late 1980s he was a regular presence at anti-regime rallies in Prague’s Wenceslas Square. He was working in subpar jobs at the time—a workman, driver, junior clerk, grass-cutter in a spa park, that lot.

Change came with the November 1989 revolution. The Civic Forum turmoil catapulted him to public life and he was elected a member of the Karlovy Vary townhall. Privatization of state and municipal assets was underway, and there was a lot to privatize in Karlovy Vary. The 1990s found him managing a state farm and working in the statutory bodies of private corporations. At the same time, however, he actively fought in the city council against efforts to selfishly privatize lucrative city property. His “rebellion” did not pass without reprimands. In 1996-1998 Jiří Kotek heard six charges, insinuating property and economic crimes on his part, and one accusation of causing grievous bodily harm. All charges against him were withdrawn on the instruction of a Plzeň public prosecutor in 1997 for lack of legal substance. Nonetheless, am affair over rotten hay fodder was reopened one year later. The Karlovy Vary Regional Court in 2001 upheld a vindicating ruling of the Karlovy Vary District Court even in this last case pending.

“Hunted like a crocodile”, Jiří Kotek went into a temporary semi-retirement. However, he was re-elected to the Karlovy Vary townhall in 2006 and the Karlovy Vary regional assembly two years later. Another explosive story began to unfold: Jiří Kotek shed light on the infamous recording of the notorious “Karlovy Vary Draw”, in which an authorized agent is seen frantically groping, twice over more than thirty seconds, for a kind of shred of paper with the names of contenders for a billion-crown contract for a multipurpose arena project. The notary present to the draw was amused by the never-ending first attempt, but a second equally endless draw, which produced the winning bidders, made her consult her documents. The farce came to its peak…

However, political leaders and certain businesspeople were really disgruntled to see Jiří Kotek elected a deputy of Karlovy Vary’s mayor in 2010. Now his anticorruption drive was sanctioned by the city council and fathers. In his characteristically uncompromising, solitary way, he started suing on behalf of the city over old cases, in which Karlovy Vary is thought to have lost hundreds of millions of crowns. A lawsuit was filed in connection with the KV Arena project, which cost the city more than 1.16 billion crowns plus VAT. Karlovy Vary sought the return of more than 565 million CZK plus accessories (the antitrust watchdog body had annulled the contract and in spring 2016 the Supreme Court referred the case back to the first-instance court, thus renewing the city’s hopes for reclaiming hundreds of millions of crowns).

A lawsuit was filed also in connection with a purchase agreement that Karlovy Vary’s former mayor had entered into with the Lázně III – Veso company, regarding the selling of the Lázně III building for a low price of 95 million crowns. Courts subsequently declared the agreement null and void, but in spite of protests by Jiří Kotek and other council members the city and the company subsequently reached an out-of-court settlement the proceeds of which, some said, “only” amounted to 180 million crowns (almost twice the original price). To cut the long story short, Jiří Kotek sued in order to radically settle past problems and win funding for the future. Small wonder he was sacked from his deputy mayor post, eight months later.

His uncompromising attitudes earned him about 20 criminal charges that made him responsible for a gamut of heinous crimes: anyone threatening the multimillion-crown business of a powerful clientelist cobweb must be eradicated as a pest! At present, Jiří Kotek is an opposition member of the Karlovy Vary townhall. The council’s proceedings, the records of which are available on-line, must convince all and sundry about his undying steadfast attitude towards the city management and his colleagues. His activity might invite wildly differing views, but even his opponents must admit that the city has reclaimed considerable funds thanks to Jiří Kotek’s determined efforts to reopen past cases. Karlovy Vary Mayor Petr Kulhánek has recently admitted that “We have been decidedly in the black figures since 2010”. (KOZOHORSKÝ, Petr. KV Arena affair returns to square one after five years. 3. 5. 2016. Mladá fronta Dnes.)

Jiří Kotek might be called names. His foes are likely to invent ever new derogatory adjectives. But two qualities of his approach must be recognized by all and sundry, namely an untiring willpower and exceptional courage. They will be in short supply in the Czech “Wild West”, and not only there, for many more years to come.

The Anticorruption Endowment (NFPK) has regularly awarded individuals and groups with Prizes for Courage since its inception in 2011. Details about the awardees are available on http://www.nfpk.cz/en/whistleblowers.