Pirate godfather in Prague? Commentator hinted
photo: Vít Hassan, PrahaIN.cz/Zdenek Hrib
Political commentator Šrámek published a text in Reflex in which he appeared on Václav Havel’s floating bench, which is supposed to stand near the Charles Bridge. About the new wharf of the shipping operator Štěpán Rusňák. According to Šrámek, it’s just business. Despite the fact that the Ministry of Culture opposed the project, Mayor Zdeněk Hřib continues to fight for it.
The mayor according to comments in Reflex On October 1, 2021, he authorized the law office of Ludvík Matoušek to file an appeal against the rejection of the mentioned floating bench. Matoušek’s law firm, which was allegedly chosen without a selection process, subsequently sued the Ministry of Culture. Attorney Matoušek is supposed to act without representatives of the municipality only on the basis of full knowledge of the power from the mayor.
According to Šrámek, he thereby avoided publishing the contract in the contract register.
“How many businessmen does Hřib mediate in his name and function as a legal service in disputes with other state administration bodies?” asks Šrámek in Reflex. Another above-standard relationship with Rusňák is said to be the councilor for housing and transparency for the Pirates, Adam Zábranský. “At Rusňák’s request, he is trying to push for the cancellation of all competing wharves of the Prague Venice company on the council of the capital city of Prague several times,” the text reads.
Businessman Rusňák is also co-owner and director of Presidential Cruises. According to Dušan Šrámek, in addition to promoting the aforementioned floating bench of Václav Havel, he is trying to take over the business of the Venice of Prague.
The owner of the mentioned shipping company, Zdeněk Bergman, confirmed this to the editors. “Mr. Rusňák is trying to systematically destroy us through his contacts with Adam Zábranský, councilor for the Pirates. I fear every Monday in anticipation that the city council will decide without the knowledge of the council and the relevant committees to cancel our wharves,” she responded to a question from PrahaIN.cz.
He reminded that he had already fired the previously mentioned Štěpán Rusňák from his company, and also warned that, although elections are currently taking place, the city council will continue to meet in its current composition until the new composition of the Prague council is established.
“They still have the opportunity to push it through quietly,” he added, adding that he personally finds it unbelievable that the councilor for the city’s housing policy and transparency is personally involved in such a dirty game, moreover, completely outside of his mandate.
“Pirates are openly fighting for the interests of one private entity in an attempt to eliminate its competitor. It is surprising that these restrictions and cancellations of wharves concern only the former employer Štěpán Rusňák of the Prague Venice company. No other company is affected by the disruption of the wharves. “Everything is happening under the popular pirate tactic of creating a ‘public space’, which refers to the so-called concept of the Prague banks. However, this was never discussed with the Vltava Basin, which manages this property,” writes Šrámek.
It is said that neither the Department of the State Navigation Administration nor the Water Management Department of the Prague Municipality was given the opportunity to comment on the aforementioned concept of Prague’s shores. “At the same time, it was directly written by Rusňák’s hand, and in all points related to the quays of Prague Venice, he proposes their cancellation,” adds Šrámek.