Czech High Court sentences nine people and a firm over Kladruby stud farm procurement fraud

On Wednesday, the High Court in Prague handed down conditional prison sentences and fines to nine individuals and the construction company Cettus for manipulating public procurement related to the renovation of the National Stud Farm in Kladruby nad Labem. The court refined the legal description of the offence but kept penalties largely consistent with the original ruling. Former Cettus director Vladimír Nový received a three‑year suspended sentence and a fine of 200,000 CZK. Prosecutors noted that the fraudulent conduct threatened a state grant of about 250 million CZK, although no substantial damage or personal gain was proven. The public prosecutor said a possible appeal to the Supreme Court will be considered after reviewing the written justification of the judgment.

The case stemmed from the preparation and execution of bidding procedures for the first and second phases of the stud farm's restoration, with more than 20 people and companies originally implicated. The court’s decision is final unless appealed, and it underscores ongoing scrutiny of corruption in public‑funded projects in the Czech Republic.