Kapsch TrafficCom offices raided by Czech police (updated)

Kapsch TrafficCom AG

07/03/2019 16:36

(Adds prosecutor comment)
    PRAGUE, March 7 (Reuters) - Police raided the Czech offices
of Austrian toll company Kapsch TrafficCom  KTCG.VI  and the
Czech anti-monopoly regulator, spokesmen for the two
organisations said on Thursday.
    The raids were connected to public orders handled by the
anti-monopoly office, including a highway toll system tender,
state prosecutor Petr Sereda told CTK news agency. No charges
have been made yet, he said.
    A Kapsch spokesman in the Czech Republic said earlier that
police requested Kapsch's country director Karel Feix's
cooperation in an investigation, to which he agreed.
    "Nobody has been charged, arrested or in any way restricted
in movement. Kapsch is giving the police its maximum
cooperation," the spokesman said in a statement, adding the
company could not give any more details.
    Kapsch's Austrian headquarters said the raids included five
offices in the Czech Republic and Feix's apartment.
    Kapsch has run the Czech Republic's highway toll system
since 2007 but lost a 10.75 billion crown ($474.1 million)
tender for its operation from next year to a Czech-Slovak
consortium. 
    The Transport Ministry signed a contract with the consortium
last year, which Kapsch challenged. The anti-monopoly regulator
UOHS confirmed the tender results in February. 
    A spokesman for UOHS confirmed raids on its office.
    The Czech police's organised crime unit said earlier on
Twitter it was carrying out actions related to two criminal
investigations. A spokesman referred to the statement when asked
for comment on the raids.
    
($1 = 22.6760 Czech crowns)

 (Reporting by Robert Muller and Jason Hovet in Prague and
Alexandra Schwarz-Goerlich in Vienna; Editing by Kirsten
Donovan)
 ((jason.hovet@thomsonreuters.com; +420 224 190 476; Reuters
Messaging: jason.hovet.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net))