Martina Uhrinová
Prize for Courage 2016 50 653 CZK
Fired for alerting to Stork Nest case?
Martina Uhrinová has blown the whistle on suspect activities pursued by Ministry of Finance officials and might possibly lose her job because if it. Even though she proceeded in accordance with applicable laws in the Stork Nest affair.
In her position as head of “Section 69”- Analysis and Reporting on Irregularities at the Ministry of Finance of the Czech Republic (MoF), Martina Uhrinová warned that her subordinate, Barbora Boschat, had been instructed by Deputy Finance Minister Tomáš Vyhánek to retrieve information from European Anti-Fraud Office OLAF, pertaining to the investigation of Stork Nest affair.
The Stork Nest case is associated with Finance Minister Andrej Babiš and the whistleblower testified (with a confirmation by another subject) that Barbora Boschat had admitted she collected information “on behalf of Agrofert”. Martina Uhrinová approached the case in an active way. She has been “suspended” and her duties are currently being discharged by the said Barbora Boschat.
Martina Uhrinová started investigating the case after being alerted by OLAF officials to the suspect activities of Barbora Boschat. They of course did not approach Barbora Boschat over the Stork Nest affair and asked Martina Uhrinová to provide an explanation.
It was easy to ascertain that Boschat maintained active contacts with Tomáš Vyhnánek. He did not deny retrieving the information on behalf of Finance Minister Andrej Babiš, who is implicated in the Stork Nest affair, but declined to disclose why he actually need such information and why he asked for it in a roundabout manner. Martina Uhrinová made a recording of her meeting with Vyhnánek. It proves that the deputy finance minister refused to explain his interaction with Barbora Boschat, reacted in an irritated and aggressive way, until Martina Uhrinová fled from his office in a terrified state of mind.
The case demonstrates a series of characteristic telltale signs of unlawful conduct, and Martina Uhrinová therefore assembled her findings and information in a complaint addressed to Jan Kněžínek. He is in charge of investigating cases concerning members of the government. She attempted to discuss the affair with Andrej Babiš and other MoF officials, but her efforts to identify those responsible for the affair were stopped, even though Barbora Boschat was facing disciplinary action over the case at that time.
Martina Uhrinová began her career in 1993 as an investigator at the Prague-West District Office of Investigations. In 2001 she joined the Serious Economic Crime Unit of the Anticorruption Police Department. She filled two other positions at the department before starting work at the Ministry of Finance in 2015.
The Anticorruption Endowment (NFPK) has regularly awarded individuals and groups with Prizes for Courage since its inception in 2011. Details about the awardees are available on http://www.nfpk.cz/en/whistleblowers.
