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| Lebanese suspect Bechara
attempts suicide in Slovak prison - press PRAGUE - Tarek Bechara, an entrepreneur of Lebanese origin who is suspected of having assisted in the abduction and death of a Czech businessman, has attempted suicide in the Bratislava prison, the Czech daily Pravo writes. "He took pills secretly. However, he failed in his suicide attempt. It was uncovered in time and he was driven to the hospital in Trencin (west Slovakia) last week. They've kept everything in secrecy," a Slovak source told the daily. Prague State Attorney's Office spokesman Martin Omelka indirectly confirmed the unofficial information. Bechara's extradition to the Czech Republic has been delayed recently when the Bratislava court adjourned for the third time hearing of the case in which Bechara was charged with fraud in Slovakia. A definitive verdict in this case is a condition for Bechara's extradition to the Czech Republic, to which the Bratislava Regional Court consented last year. The extradition, however, may be a matter of further weeks or months. If found guilty of fraud in Slovakia next week, Bechara can appeal the verdict. Slovak authorities suspect Bechara of having committed fraud worth 2 million Slovak crowns. He reportedly failed to pay off a loan. As a collateral for the loan he offered a flat that he did not own, the police say. The Czech police believe Bechara was part of a criminal group that abducted Czech entrepreneur Lambert Krejcir in the autumn 2002, stripped him of a large sum and forced him to cover the debts of his son Radovan, also a businessman, who was in custody at the time. Lambert Krejcir died during the kidnapping. Some media say that he suffered a heart failure during transport in a car boot. Bechara owns several clothes shops in Slovakia. In the
communist era he was reportedly an agent of the communist secret police StB. |
