Discussing the crimes of Berdych’s gang leads to the final verdict
On Thursday or Friday, Senate President Jiří Wažik could close the main trial in the case of Jaromír Prokop, now 65, who is described as an important member of the so-called Berdych gang; numerous groups of robbers, extortionists and thieves rioting in the 1990s, which in 1996 was left with the dead body of a kidnapped goldsmith scattered in the Příbram region. And much more brutality.
Robbery yes, but violence? Do not!
Prokop was even called the hood of this gang; at least at the beginning of the activity. Such information at least resulted from earlier court hearings, which had dealt extensively with the Berdych family’s rampage. In his statements at the turn of July and August, he himself admitted to participating in several robberies – but refused to come up with deeds or give instructions, and insisted that he had never used violence himself. He argues that in the days of earlier trials he was gone and could not defend himself – that is why co-defendants can blame him. He was tried (and also found guilty) as a fugitive.
The escort will bring from the detention center to court a man who has done everything in the past to make him forgotten at home. He did not succeed, even though he might have thought that he had been overseas – more precisely overseas – long enough. The cover of the criminal file bears the year 2005. And the dates of the acts mentioned in it are even ten years older. For others, the numbers of sections are also unusual: they are not based on the currently used Criminal Code, which has been in force since 2010, but on the previous Criminal Code; still Czechoslovak.
Thirteen and a half years is the maximum
Prokop has been hiding for many years – until last year, when he was detained in the USA and the country’s justice extradited him to the Czech Republic in May this year. He refused to serve the sentence imposed on him in absentia and exercised his right to protect for a new trial by proving his participation. It was during this main treatment at the turn of July and August that he admitted to gang activities, but refused his leadership role.
On August 4, it seemed that a verdict was about to take place – the last witness was questioned and the closing speech was left – without Senate President Wažik, he had to turn the trial indefinitely at the time. Prokop took an ambulance directly from the courthouse when he collapsed in the inaccessible background. The process should now be completed. What is certain is that Prokop cannot receive a sentence severe than 13.5 years in prison – so much has been assessed by the Board of Appeal of the High Court in Prague in the past when he was tried as a fugitive.