PRAGUE/ASUNCIÓN - Petr Wolf, a former Social Democratic member of the Czech Parliament who fled the country, has applied for political asylum in Paraguay, as reported by the local media outlet 'Odkryto'. Wolf was sentenced in the Czech Republic to six years in prison for subsidy fraud, and the Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs is working on his extradition.
Wolf requested house arrest, offering his property located in the suburbs of the capital Asunción as bail. However, the court rejected this request and ordered him to remain in custody.
Wolf fled the Czech Republic in January 2013, and police confirmed his presence in Paraguay in 2019. He was arrested in late September 2024, a result that police stated was due to intensive international cooperation through Interpol and significant contributions from Paraguayan, Argentinian, and various departmental police officers. According to reports, Wolf was carrying a Mexican passport under the name Ian Robertson.
The Czech Republic does not have an extradition treaty with Paraguay, but extradition requests are possible based on "a guarantee of reciprocity." The Czech Ministry of Justice requested Wolf's extradition from Paraguay in 2016. Foreign Ministry spokesman Daniel Drake stated, "Our colleagues are in close contact with the Paraguayan prosecutor's office, and a meeting took place last week."
Wolf served as a Member of Parliament from 2006 to 2010. He was elected as a member of the Social Democratic Party but later left the party. In 2012, a court found him guilty of receiving subsidies from the Ministry of the Environment based on inaccurate and false information. Together with his wife, Hana, he received 11 million Czech crowns (CZK) for two projects between 2005 and 2007. He used some of this money for his own expenses, and the projects were copied from the internet.
The court sentenced Wolf to five years in prison and a fine of CZK 1 million. The Olomouc High Court increased Wolf's sentence to six years in prison and the fine to CZK 5 million.
Hana Wolfová also received a suspended sentence of three years and a fine of CZK 1 million. At the time, Wolf stated on his website that he considered the court's decision unjust and unfair. He fled to avoid imprisonment, and police were searching for him.
Wolf and his wife have been paying off the fines in installments. Even while Wolf was on the run, his wife continued to deposit money into the court's account.
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