Czech defence firms accused of secretly sponsoring military and presidential balls

Investigations have raised concerns that two high‑profile events organized by the Ministry of Defence – the Army Ball and the Guard of the Castle Ball – were financed by private defence‑industry companies rather than through transparent public contracts. The organising firms V. M. EST a.s. and VOLAREZA s.r.o. are linked to sponsors such as Tatra Defence, Tatra Trucks, PP Partners, Česká zbrojovka (COLT CZ), STV Group and Techniserv. A contract worth roughly 0.96 billion CZK, flagged by a minority shareholder of Tatra Trucks, appears to have been invoiced to an existing defence ministry agreement, while the only entry in the public contract register concerns a modest music‑production service. Videos of the events are publicly available on YouTube, and President Petr Pavel attended the 2026 ceremony. Critics argue that the lack of clear procurement records points to possible misuse of public funds and inadequate oversight.