Head of Czech tennis arrested
Czech tennis boss stays in detention amid fraud investigation
The head of Czech tennis was arrested. The police have detained the head of the Czech tennis federation as part of a fraud investigation into the misuse of state funds. The headquarters of the federation in Prague were raided by the police this week. In the wake of the financial scandal that has shaken Czech tennis, a court has ordered that the federation’s president, Ivo Kaderka, be kept in a detention cell. On Friday, the federation appointed its sports director Jan Stoces as interim head.
The public prosecution office in Prague has charged five people and five firms with subsidy fraud, but not the federation itself. Only Kaderka and Vojtech Flegl, a federation board member, are currently in detention. The police raided the federation headquarters in Prague and some other offices across the country earlier this week. Kaderka, who has been in charge of the federation since 1998, and Flegl face up to 10 years in prison if convicted of subsidy fraud, but they deny any wrongdoing. The other suspects include the federation’s secretary, the head of finances, and Daniel Vacek, a former tennis player who coaches Tomas Machac, currently ranked 65th among Czech players.
Šéf tenisového svazu Ivo Kaderka jde po našem odhalení dotační kauzy @CRozhlas @Radiozurnal1 k soudu, který rozhoduje o jeho vazbě. pic.twitter.com/ubz23ipFD3
— Artur Janoušek (@ArturJanousek) February 29, 2024
Ghost services
A Czech public radio report reveals that a company owned by Flegl, which arranges different tennis events in the country, has received money from the federation for services that were either overpriced or never provided. The funds were allegedly transferred afterward to his relatives and other companies owned by him.
Czech tennis has a rich heritage, with legendary players such as Martina Navratilova and Ivan Lendl. Marketa Vondrousova, the current women’s Wimbledon champion, is also a part of this proud legacy.