Three convicted of fraud in Kladruby stud case

The regional court in Hradec Kralove on Monday convicted three defendants of fraud in connection with the reconstruction of the National Stud Farm in Kladruby nad Labem. The defendants were handed fines and one of them also a suspended sentence. In all, charges were brought against five companies and 17 people. The court acquitted all of them, except the three, including the construction firms Geosan Stavebni, Chladek a Tintera, Strabag, Cettus and Metrostav. The verdict is non-binding. The defendants had been found guilty of harming the EU's financial interests, bargaining an advantage and scheming in a public tender.