"Logically, it is not possible to define its volume either," Cikrt said. Diag Human seeks compensation from the state that allegedly marred its lucrative deals with blood plasma in the early 1990s.
A sum exceeding 14 billion crowns, including interests, is mentioned now. "Representatives of the state are convinced that the claim to damages is not law-based, and therefore they demand that arbitrators reject the action for damages," Cikrt said. CTK is seeking Diag Human's reaction. The firm already got more than 326.6 million crowns as the first instalment of compensation in January 2003. The Health Ministry also has objections to this sum. Health Minister Tomas Julinek (Civic Democrats, ODS) issued British pedophile arrested in Prague, faces life sentence - press ...
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Far-Right NPD Loses Appeal, Faces Hefty Fine ... a statement saying the state would succeed in the dispute if it were proceeded by court, and not an arbitration senate. "I must also say that due to my predecessors at the ministry, the case is not being judged by an independent court, but by an arbitration senate having three members none of whom I have proposed," Julinek writes. He said he therefore does not feel responsible for the expected verdict. Daily Hospodarske noviny has written that the verdict might be issued in mid-August, daily Pravo speaks about late autumn. Cikrt said if the verdict is in Diag Human's favour, the state will use the possibility of having it reviewed by further arbitrators. "The verdict can also be reviewed by an independent court," he added. The case started in 1992 when then health minister Martin Bojar sent a letter to the Danish firm NovoNordisk that afterwards interrupted cooperation with Diag Huamn, which the firm said was tantamount to its end in its field of activity. The ministry, however, says there is evidence proving that there exists no connection between the letter and the claimed damages and that "there were other reasons than minister Bojar's letter that objectively prevented the complaining firm from doing business with Czech blood plasma." The arbitration senate ruled in 1998 already that the firm has a title to damages and a public apology for that the state pushed it out from the market at variance with law and good morals. Since then the dispute has only been about the amount of the damage. In 1996, then health minister Jan Strasky (ODS) received a proposal for extra-judicial settlement worth 200 million crowns. Instead, arbitration proceedings were launched and they have continued to date. In 2000 the Health Ministry itself put the damages at 3.68 billion crowns. Last year consultancy firm Ernst&Young put the damages for Diag Human, including interests, at 13 billion crowns, and at 4.6 to 5.7 billion crowns without interests. Since then the total sum has increased to more than 14 billion crowns, according to media. (USD1=15.044 crowns)
(Ceske Noviny)
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