18 June 1998: The Czech Republic“s Liberec district court decided to take former actress and Skloexport glass export company board chairwoman Regina Razlova into custody, a court official told report…
18 June 1998: The Czech Republic“s Liberec district court decided to take former actress and Skloexport glass export company board chairwoman Regina Razlova into custody, a court official told reporters recently. “It“s like in a bad film,” Razlova said when she left the building of the regional court in Liberec that sent her to jail. Charges had already been brought against Razlova of insider dealing and of trying to cause Skloexport Kcs 1.2 billion worth of damage (see GlassOnline report of 9 April 1998). However, she could not be found in the Czech Republic and the police registered her as fled. Interpol were asked to help search for her. Her son, who also used to be involved in the business, was reported as saying that she was in Britain improving her English and that she would return soon. Razlova was reportedly arrested as she crossed the Czech-Slovak border. Razlova“s lawyer Oldrich Chudoba said he had filed a complaint against her detention because there was no reason to consider her a fugitive as she had been on a business trip. The court decided to keep her locked up due to concerns that she could run away and hide or influence witnesses, or possibly other people who also face charges but have not yet been found. “I think that we should have an informer as our state symbol instead of a lion, that it would be more advantageous in a way and would do better justice to our nature,” Razlova said in reaction to the court“s verdict. She was accompanied by the police when she left the building. From there she was taken to the Prague jail in Pankrac, where she was hospitalised, according to Czech Television. Reports say that five people, including Razlova“s father Stanislav Razl, a former high-ranking communist leader and a government member, are also being prosecuted. They are accused of transferring assets of the Skloexport glass trading company to Razls“ Skloexport Group under the pretext of revitalising the Czech glass industry. Skloexport allegedly lost Kcs 400 million through illegal transfers conducted with the assistance of third companies. Razlova denies all accusations.