Detectives intervene at the regional office in Plzeň due to the spa

Plzeň - Detectives from the National Center Against Organized Crime (NCOZ) intervened today at the regional office in Plzeň. This was confirmed to ČTK by the center's spokesperson, Jaroslav Ibehej, and the spokesperson for the regional administration, Helena Frintová. She also confirmed that the intervention concerns the region-established and fully owned company, the Cultural Center of the Plzeň Region s. r. o. (KCPK). Novinky.cz reported on the intervention, stating that detectives detained the former mayor of Domažlice and current executive director of KCPK, Miroslav Mach. Police are also intervening at the Domažlice municipal office, confirmed the local deputy mayor Viktor Krutina (independent) to ČTK this afternoon.

KCPK is responsible for the regional plan for a roughly two billion reconstruction of the dilapidated city spa building in Plzeň into a multicultural center, including the construction of a new building for the West Bohemian Gallery (ZČG). ČTK was unable to contact anyone from the KCPK management today. Governor Kamal Farhan (ANO) told ČTK in the afternoon that the police did not contact him or speak with him, and he has no official information about the reason for the intervention. However, according to him, the police action probably pertains to the period before his assumption of leadership of the region. According to Farhan, the regional office provided maximum cooperation to the detectives. They spoke with people and took materials that were of interest to them in connection with the investigated matter.

Regional opposition representative and Minister of Culture Martin Baxa (ODS) today called on the regional leadership to draw consequences from today's events and to openly inform about the progress of the affair.

Krutina, who is also a member of the supervisory board of KCPK, told ČTK that he knows nothing about the intervention in Plzeň. He received no information in his position as a board member and learned about it from the media. "I can confirm that detectives have been intervening at the municipal office in Domažlice since morning, but I cannot comment on whether it is related to the same matter," he said. According to ČTK's information, detectives are talking to people at the Domažlice municipal office, but no further details were disclosed by anyone in light of the mandated confidentiality.

"I can only confirm that our unit is carrying out actions in a criminal proceeding today. We will not be providing more information for now," Ibehej said in the morning without further details. In the afternoon, when ČTK inquired about the intervention in Domažlice, he only referred to his original statement. He did not disclose whether the unit would provide further information today. The region is also bound by confidentiality. "I can confirm that the police are intervening today at the regional office of the Plzeň Region, and I can confirm that it concerns the Cultural Center company," Frintová said. KCPK is based in an office on Františkánská Street, outside the main headquarters of the regional office.

The reconstruction of the heritage-protected spa from 1932, which the region purchased in 2022, is advocated by the current coalition of ANO, STAN, and the Pro náš kraj grouping. The previous leadership of the region, composed of ANO, STAN, and the Pirates, initiated it. The opposition, particularly ODS and TOP 09, is against it.

"According to the media, the intervention is related to the reconstruction of the city spa building in Plzeň. This is a project that our representatives in the regional council have always rejected, raising numerous specific objections, including the allegation of the project being uneconomical. We have repeatedly expressed concerns about the project, which began under Governor Špoták (Rudolf, Pirates) and continues under the current leadership of the region," Baxa stated in response to ČTK's inquiry.

The reconstruction is being designed by the architectural studio of Eva Heyworth. "I inherited this matter and now we are continuing with it. Preparatory work is ongoing and the competition for who will carry out the repairs and construction should take place in the first half of next year," Farhan said today. This year, the region allocated 140 million CZK in its budget for the spa projects and the start of demolition work that began last year. The region expects to take out a loan for the construction.

The opposition advocated for the construction of a new gallery in the center of Plzeň, U Zvonu, which had building permits, a plot of land, and a promise of a smaller state subsidy. According to ODS and TOP 09, it would be more representative and cheaper. Together with dozens of architects and their professional chamber, they also criticize the fact that the region did not announce an architectural competition but directly commissioned the project. The regional leadership then stated that it wanted to expedite the construction and that it would be completed by 2026.

The NCOZ also intervened at the regional office in another matter in May. The police charged two individuals and one company in connection with the intervention at the regional office in Plzeň. The accusations were related to the crime of securing an advantage in the awarding of public contracts, during a public competition and public auction, and the abuse of power by a public official.