PRAGUE -- Adding to the list of allegations of shady deals made by the Czech Defense Ministry under the previous government, Prague purchased three armored ambulances from Italian manufacturer Iveco without a tender. The vehicles were bought indirectly from Iveco through Czech company Praga-Export.

Praga-Export was also involved in a CZK3.6 billion ($190 million) contract for 90 Iveco 4x4 armored Light Multirole Vehicles (LMVs) awarded earlier this year. Those vehicles, like the three ambulances, were purchased with the intent of sending them to Czech Army units serving in Afghanistan as soon as possible. However, the Czech Iveco LMV purchase was again made without a tender, resulting in Prague paying far more per unit than European neighbor Austria, which purchased 150 Iveco LMVs for $138 million.

The Czech Republic intended to make the Iveco purchase in tandem with Slovakia, but Bratislava backed out of the contract and now Czech police are questioning whether, in making the purchase, the law was violated. Praga-Export officials point out that the Czech government had already placed previous orders for Iveco LMVs under urgent operational requirements (UORs) in 2007 and 2008, and that it was natural that the Army and Czech Defense Ministry would want commonality when seeking a larger armored vehicle.

Czech Happenings
21.09.2010