Entrepreneur Sekyra is building a villa in violation of the zoning plan

Prague - Real estate magnate Luděk Sekyra, who, according to police wiretaps published in Mladá fronta Dnes (MfD) eight years ago, was in contact with the murdered controversial businessman František Mrázek, and for whom former deputy speaker of the House and current Minister of the Interior Ivan Langer (ODS) lobbied, is building an ostentatious villa in Prague's Troja in violation of the zoning plan. This is reported in the latest issue of the magazine Týden.
    Sekyra allegedly spoke with Mrázek, who was considered the ruler of the Czech underworld, about utilizing Langer in Sekyra's attempt to buy the construction company IPS. Sekyra asked Langer for a favor in securing financing to purchase shares. Langer told MfD that he helped Sekyra out of Czech patriotism but claimed he was unaware of Sekyra's contacts with Mrázek.
    Týden writes that Sekyra's villa is being built in Troja in an area that was originally intended to be an oasis of tranquility. The representatives of Prague-Troja have objections to the house, which takes the form of a giant glass cube, as they believe it will significantly disrupt the existing development.
    According to Týden, nothing was originally supposed to be built on the parcel. In 1999, the zoning plan indicated this plot as an area for planting useful and ornamental plants. This was also supposed to be the case in the new version of the plan, but during the oral hearing, the landowners managed to obtain a building permit from the Troja town hall. They received the stamp four days before the new regulation came into effect, allowing three family houses to be built in the orchard area, Týden writes.
    One of the conditions set by the representatives of the municipality for granting the permit, according to Týden, concerned the appearance of the buildings - they required them to correspond with the existing development and to be single-story structures with an attic. The builders promised to comply, but they divided the land into four parts and sold them off. Sekyra bought one of the parcels at that time and applied for a change in the building's layout.
    The Troja council was not against it, nor was the building authority of Prague 7, which has the final say. According to local officials, all documents for the construction were in order, and in addition, construction work was reportedly already underway at that time.
    According to Týden, the then-mayor of Troja, Monika Maurerová, attempted to reverse the situation but was dismissed. Sekyra does not want to comment on the background of the case. He and architect Eva Jiřičná, who designed the house, agreed to comment on the project only after its completion, Týden writes.