Dalik, Topolanek, Tuscany, J&T and PPF

The arrest of Marek Dalík brings the Nečas cabinet's battle against corruption dangerously close to a couple of the Five Families. Dalík was the omnipresent sidekick of Mirek Topolánek, who works for EPH's Opatovice power company. EPH is owned 44.5% by PPF and 37% by J&T. Both of them are said to be clients of Dalík's New Deal Communications, as is ČEZ, according to LN. EPH has taken over some of ČEZ's energy assets in deals that critics say were unfair to ČEZ's shareholders. When Topolánek was still PM, he vacationed in Tuscany in a villa that was officially leased to Dalík by a foundation administered by Markus Hasler, who is connected to J&T. Topolánek has since returned to the villa regularly. The fact that Topolánek spent his vacation in 2009 in a villa linked to a future employer suggests that his relationship as PM to at least one of the Five Families was inappropriate, to put it mildly.