During Tuesday’s raid, police teams intervened in several places in the Ústecký, Karlovy Vary, Moravian-Silesian and Central Bohemian regions. The action was related to suspicion of criminal activity regarding public contracts, tax crimes and corruption, as stated by the Regional State Prosecutor’s Office in Ústí nad Labem. More than ten people were detained, among them the mayor of Chomutov, regional councilor for transport and candidate for governor Marek Hrabáč (ANO).
Marek Hrabáč has been involved in politics for nine years, during which time he gained a reputation as an elegant man who does not like to talk to journalists. However, this made him somewhat invisible to the public, which people threw at him on social networks. He originally graduated from the Faculty of Law and then worked as a director of department stores and hypermarkets. He was elected mayor of Chomutov in the middle of the election period in 2016. At that time, the representatives united against the PRO Chomutov movement, dismissed its councilors and allowed representatives of the opposition ČSSD and Nové Sever to join the representatives of ANO and KSČM in the highest assembly.
Hrabáč also defended the position of mayor in the following two municipal elections, so he has been the mayor of Chomutov for eight years. It is in charge of the Department of the Environment, the Department of Economy, City Property and Internal Audit. He also supervises the Transport Company of the cities of Chomutov and Jirkov, the company Chomutovská bytová and Technical Services.
Before the elections, he said that he sees security as the most pressing problem in Chomutov. “The Police of the Czech Republic in Chomutov does not have full police officers. The city is therefore increasing the number of police officers and we want to continue doing so,” he said at the time. He promised that, in addition to important investments, the city will also continue to buy up apartments to help improve the situation in housing estates.
However, Marek Hrabáč’s political activities also extend to the Ústí Region, where he has been a representative since 2016. In addition, he has been a councilor for transport for the last two years. During his tenure, the region selected the electric backbone train operator Regiojet and bought buses for the Transport Company of the Ústecký Region, which is to provide a significant part of the bus transport in the region. It was a contract worth hundreds of millions of crowns. Regional communications also fall under his responsibility.
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The police intervention on Tuesday was related to economic crime, specifically influencing public contracts, as reported by the Police of the Czech Republic.
According to the Regional Prosecutor’s Office in Ústí nad Labem, thirteen people were detained on Tuesday, August 6, house searches and other premises were also searched. Information on how many persons will be prosecuted, for which crimes and whether a proposal to take them into custody will be considered will be submitted by the Regional State Prosecutor’s Office in Ústí nad Labem on the morning of Wednesday, August 7.
The police intervened at the Chomutov town hall and in Jirkov due to economic crime. | Video: Diary/Miroslava Šebestová
