Prague – A senior official at the Czech Ministry of Education has been detained and subsequently charged with multiple serious crimes, including rape, drug offenses, and extortion, Czech news outlets reported Wednesday. Václav Velčovský, the Director of the Section for European Funds, was apprehended Monday at the ministry building in Prague.
According to a statement provided to Deník N by Aleš Cimbala, a spokesperson for the Prague City State Prosecutor’s Office, a criminal investigation has been launched against one individual for multiple offenses. “The crime of rape, drug crime, and extortion,” Cimbala confirmed.
Velčovský, who has held a high-ranking position within the Ministry of Education for over a decade, oversees European funds and international cooperation. Novinky.cz reported that the reasons for his detention were unrelated to his work at the ministry. Prior to his role at the Ministry of Education, Velčovský held positions at the Office of the Government and the Ministry of the Interior, as well as in the private sector.
Police executed the arrest at the ministry’s offices on Prague’s Harfa district, according to a statement from police spokesperson Eva Kropáčová, as reported by TN.cz. The investigation is being overseen by prosecutors from the Municipal State Prosecutor’s Office for Prague 9.
Following initial questioning, Velčovský was released from custody but remains under investigation. Cimbala emphasized that the presumption of innocence applies, and the case remains in a non-public phase of the preparatory proceedings.
Ondřej Andrys, the State Secretary of the Ministry of Education, informed ministry officials via email on Tuesday about Velčovský’s detention, according to Deník N. The email stated that police had informed them of the arrest of the Director of the Section for European Funds at the ministry’s Harfa location.
The Ministry of Education has initiated steps to relieve Velčovský of his duties, according to reports. The ministry has not yet issued a further statement beyond confirming the detention of an employee.