Audit unveils no money laundering by Czech govt VV

A recent forensic audit has proved that there was no money laundering on the part of the Czech junior ruling Public Affairs (VV), VV chairman Radek John said today, presenting the audit, to reporters.

A separate audit of VV deputy Michal Babak´s finance has proved no irregularities either, John said.

The VV had its finance audited earlier this summer.

The audit has unveiled major shortcomings in the VV´s party accounting but the auditor found no signs of an expedient distortion of the accounting data, says the BDO auditor´s report that the VV has released on its website.

The unveiled shortcomings are of a procedural nature and the VV will remedy them soon, John said.

Babak had his own finance audited separately in reaction to critics´ suspicions of money laundering on his part.

In a press release today, Babak rejected any further challenging of his personal and professional integrity.

"I provided any possible cooperation, including thorough information on my family´s financial situation, to the auditor and the police investigators. No Czech politician has done anything similar so far. I did not have and I don´t have anything to hide," said Babak, whose VV membership has been suspended over the above mentioned suspicions.

He admitted having taken some rather non-standard steps in good faith and in an effort to help the VV during its turbulent start [in his politics], but the audit has shown that all the steps were taken to the VV´s benefit and none was at variance with law.

He said he is ready to do his utmost as a member of the VV leadership to supervise the correction of the unveiled shortcomings and prevent similar situations from repeating.

The VV entered the Czech lower house for the first time in history in the mid-2010 elections. It is the smallest in parliament and in the centre-right government.

Suspicions about its allegedly problematic financial management emerged this spring when not only the whole government but also the VV itself experienced internal turbulences.

Source: ČTK