Chairman of the Office is convinced that the investigation will confirm the legality of all administrative proceedings

2019-03-11
Last week, the Office for the Protection of Competition (hereinafter referred to as “the Office”) was one of the objectives of the police inspection, which main purpose was, among other things, to investigate alleged undue influence on the review of public procurement in case of the electronic toll system.

According to the statements of the law enforcement authorities, the purpose of the police inspection at the Offices´ premises was to collect relevant documents and materials. No one in the management of the Office or any employee has been accused.  The Office has been operating in standard regime since Friday, doing routine administrative tasks including scheduled meetings with parties to the proceedings.

All employees of the Office are bound by a duty of confidentiality regarding the investigation; consequently, the Office can’t make any statements on its course. The Chairman of the Office Petr Rafaj considers meetings with all stakeholders (contracting authorities, suppliers, experts, legislators, members of the government etc.) as a standard part of his duties. During these meetings, he listens to all possible opinions of any stakeholder. It doesn’t mean that such opinions would have any effect on the ongoing proceedings. The Chairman is convinced that the police investigation will reveal that all examined proceedings conducted by the Office were in accordance with the law and that they were not influenced by anyone.

Finally, it should be noted that the decision-making of the Office is a two-instance process, in which many employees are involved. Therefore, any influence of the external stakeholders is highly unlikely. In addition, it is possible to bring an action before administrative court against a final decision of the Chairman of the Office. 

Press Release

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