Czech Republic: Romani NGO founder appeals fraud conviction

News server iDNES.cz reports that Ladislav Bílý, the head of the Romani Civic Association (Romské občanské sdružení) in Karlovy Vary, has been sentenced to six years in prison and must repay almost CZK 10 million [EUR 394 000]. The verdict was handed down by the Regional Court in Plzeň, which found Bílý guilty of subsidy fraud and falsifying documents.

The local municipality, the Karlovy Vary Regional Authority, and the state all subsidized the Romani Civic Association with millions of crowns. According to state prosecutor Augustin Hrbotický, however, the association got its funding on the basis of fraud. Its confirmations of solvency from the Revenue Authority, health insurers, and the social security administration were allegedly all forged.

According to the prosecution, the association wrongfully cashed in almost CZK 10 million, while possible transfers of millions more were halted due to the indictment. The court has now sent Bílý to a maximum-security prison for six years and ordered him to repay the damages, which amount to not quite CZK 10 million. According to the court, he had to have known he was submitting documents with false data to the authorities.

Bílý, however, has persistently denied any culpability and immediately appealed today’s verdict. "I founded the Romani Civic Association in 1999 and we aid socially vulnerable people in the Karlovy Vary area. I am not aware of having done anything wrong. I paid out of my own pocket for the actions we never received funding for. I definitely never forged anything. What’s more, between 2006 and 2010 we were under financial supervision," Bílý told the court today.