Transparency International says it does not want to be involved in Prague's city hall-led programmes, reports Czech News Agency
LONDON (TrustLaw) - The Czech chapter of the international anti-graft watchdog Transparency International (TI) has rejected an invitation by Prague's mayor to be a part of the Prague Anti-Corruption Council. TI said its decision was based on bad experiences of working with city hall in the past, Czech News Agency (CTK) reported.
The head of TI's Czech chapter, David Ondracka, told Prague Mayor Bohuslav Svoboda that TI will continue to support city hall's anti-corruption efforts but that TI did not want to be actively involved in city hall-led programmes, CTK reported.
The mayor's office has had to defend itself against constant criticism that its procurement process is not transparent, particularly in connection with Opencard, a sophisticated smart card system that aims to make it easier for Prague residents and visitors to pay for municipal services.
The criticism follows reports that politicians from both major Czech parties have been sitting on the boards of firms that regularly receive millions of crowns of public money.
(1 Crown= $0.05)
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