Czech law enforcement agencies are investigating suspicions related to the export of drones from the Czech Republic to Ukraine. This includes possible misuse of diplomatic passports and possible smuggling of drones by the military. This was stated by Czech Defense Minister Jana Černohová to the CNN discussion program, UNN reports.
Details
This refers to the Nemesis project organized by the Skupina D association. The deputy chairman of the opposition ANO, Radek Wondracek, who met with the minister during the debate, said that ANO would want to discuss the issue in the Chamber of Deputies. The suspicions were previously expressed by the deputy chairman of the Defense Committee of the Chamber of Deputies, Paweł Różyczka (ANO).
On Thursday, February 6, the website Aktuálně.cz reported that special forces illegally transported drones to Ukraine. The drones came from a collection organized, among others, by actor Ondřej Vetch. The server noted that the criminal proceedings regarding the army's cooperation with the Skupina D association directly concern special forces.
Military police spokeswoman Katerzhyna Mlynkova told the server that the investigation was into "possible unauthorized handling of the property of the Ministry of Defense and possible use of military personnel outside the tasks of the armed forces.
According to Aktuálně.cz, military materials were transported to Ukraine by members of the 601st Special Forces Group, but they did not have parliamentary permission to do so.
All suspicions are now being investigated by law enforcement agencies, and I am glad about this, because this is the only way we will get forgiveness or a sentence, regardless of whether there was a violation or not,
"The accusations are, of course, serious," the minister added, emphasizing that she could not ignore them. Last year, the minister said that the Military Inspectorate of the Ministry of Defense was looking into the matter. According to her, the case is currently being investigated by the military police.
She denied that she would put pressure on anyone or incite the police or the inspection. "If the Minister of Defense receives any information based on the appeal of the Deputy Chairman of the Defense Committee, which appears in the public domain, and Mr. Ruzhychka received it from soldiers, then I have to check it," she said.
I firmly believe that the Nemesis Association, which is headed by all those people who speak in this public space, will explain all these issues,
"You can't just close up shop and say everything is fine when we know it's not, based on the inspection," she added.
She also stated that it does not seem normal to her that one of the founders of the association, Jan Veverka, has a diplomatic passport. "He got it in the wrong way, it does not meet all the legal norms that we have in the ministry," she added.
She stated that she would also like to address this issue to President Petro Poroshenko, as it also concerns the commander of the 601st Group, General Myroslav Hofirek. She emphasized that diplomatic passports should not be issued at the checkpoint of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the basis of the signature of an unauthorized person, i.e. General Hofirek.
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