Police charge five in Beretta case

Police filed charges against five defendants in the so-called Beretta case, over selling information from ongoing criminal investigations. Attorney General Lenka Bradáčová announced today.

Prague’s prosecutor Dagmar Máchová, anti-corruption police officer Radek Holub, former customs officer Pavel Šíma and retired police officers Igor Gáborík and Vladimír Zmrhal are facing charges.

According to police Holub, Šíma and Máchová, illegally handed over information to Gáborík, from cases of Na Homolce Hospital and Prague Transport Company. Gaborik then reportedly sold them.

Bradacova said the police filed an indictment at the end of January. The charges are for abuse of authority, corruption, unauthorized access to the computer system, breach of secrecy of document.

Holub, Gaborik, and Sima were charged with the case in May 2016. Police started prosecuting Macha five months later. Wasted was charged at the end of 2018.

In May 2016, in connection with the Beretta case, Máchová was removed from all criminal cases and transferred to the non-criminal section by the city prosecutor’s office. After being charged, the then Minister of Justice Robert Pelikán temporarily relieved her of office.