Positive examples
10. října 2013 | Positive examples

Odmítl poskytnout úplatek 50 milionů a kvůli cti šel do rizika

Czech Canadian George Formandl kept his composure and worked with the police to apprehend a man who asked for a bribe in return for effecting change to the Prague Zoning Plan.

George Formandl has been a Czech Republic-based consultant to foreign investors since 1997. As chairman of the board of TESLA Properties he has been involved in planning for the development of housing, offices and retail space in the premises of Tesla Hloubětín, in Prague’s Ninth District. This investment required a change of the territorial Zoning Plan and permits from Prague City Hall. TESLA Properties adhered to set policies and provided the necessary documentation, but very soon grafters sniffed an opportunity and put George Formandl to a life test.

In December 2011 TESLA Properties had a strange visitor—one František Koudelka presented himself as the only person capable of ensuring a change of the Zoning Plan. He made his “assistance” conditional on being paid 50 million CZK on the side. He made it abundantly clear that if he did not get the bribe he would see to it that the change of the Zoning Plan in favour of TESLA Properties would never happen. But George Formandl did not act in haste and carefully planned his next moves. He alerted the police, who duly began to examine the case.

A turning point in the case history came about after several meetings with František Koudelka:  on 4 April 2012 a meeting took place with the then head of the Prague Territorial Planning Committee, Vladimír Schmalz (Civic Democratic Party ODS). This meeting was arranged by František Koudelka, who brought to the back entrance of Prague City Hall Mr. George Formandl, Tesla Hloubětín architect Tomáš Hlaváček, and Deputy Mayor of Prague 9 Marek Doležal. The four men proceeded to the office of Vladimír Schmalz, where they were met by two other men—Jaroslav Mráz and Jiří Morávek, whose roles in the case are not clear. When Vladimír Schmalz arrived at the meeting, an angry George Formandl told those present he had been asked to pay a 50 million CZK bribe. A quarrel ensued and the meeting was abruptly brought to an end.

Court proceedings opened in December 2012. The Prague Municipal Court found Koudelka guilty of attempted fraud in which he tried to extort a 50-million-crown bribe from TESLA Properties. However, the case further opens many questions and too few answers. First the question arises whether other persons should have been indicted alongside František Koudelka, and whether he did not solicit bribes in other instances, and what his influence actually was at Prague City Hall. It should be noted that in addition to Koudelka, charges were originally pressed against Jaroslav Pošík, who helped him to arrange for the aforementioned meeting in Vladimír Schmalz’s office. If you have similar experience with the above mentioned main actors in this case, please immediately contact the police.

The TESLA Properties case shows what formidable hurdles foreign investors must overcome, although they are indispensable sources of investment of foreign capital, economic growth and the creation of jobs. The bold personal action taken against grafters in this case will certainly serve as a warning to those who seek bribes in return for manipulating official decisions.

As of October 2013, TESLA Properties was still waiting for a change in the Prague Zoning Plan.

Interview with George Formandl

Odkazy