ČEZ is coming apart at the seams

Chair Dana Drábová of the SÚJB nuclear-safety agency is routinely ranked as one of the most powerful women in the country. She's well-respected in her field and is on good terms with Miloš Zeman, who gave her a presidential medal of honor last year. When she speaks, people listen. Unfortunately, politicians don't always act accordingly. She declared last year that the Kč 1.55bn price paid by ČEZ to CEEI for a spent nuclear fuel storage facility was inexplicably high, yet nothing happened. CEO Daniel Beneš, who oversaw the CEEI deal, remained in place. Last week Drábová lambasted ČEZ for outsourcing important functions and questioned the authenticity of an outsourced x-ray of a key pipe weld at the Dukovany nuclear plant. Never did she think, she said, that the CR could sink so low. Again, nothing happened. Beneš remained in place. ČEZ is literally coming apart at the seams, and the warning bells have been duly sounded.