Former Czech PM charged with bribery

Former Czech prime minister Petr Necas has been charged with bribery in a case that brought down his centre-right government last year and sparked a drawn-out political crisis, his lawyer and local media said Tuesday. Necas was informed Tuesday that criminal proceedings had been launched, his lawyer Josef Lzicar told AFP, adding that he did not yet know the details. But according to the Pravo daily's website, Necas was charged for offering lucrative jobs to three lawmakers from his Civic Democrats party in November 2012. In exchange, the lawmakers pledged to vote in favour of a tax bill that Necas said was tantamount to a confidence vote on his cabinet. If convicted, Necas faces one to six years in prison, according to Pravo. Necas survived the vote but stepped down last June over the bribery scandal and charges against his top aide and lover Jana Nagyova, whom Necas later married Nagyova has been charged with ordering military intelligence to spy on Necas's then wife Radka. The turmoil led to a snap election last October, which the left-wing Social Democrats won. They formed a coalition government with the populist ANO party and the smaller centrist Christian Democrats that was sworn in last month.