Lustrating for PPF influence
Buried on Pages 46 and 48 today of Respekt is a bombshell with potentially enormous political and commercial significance. Jaroslav Spurný wrote that Czech security institutions now consider PPF's control over domestic telecoms infrastructure to pose a security risk, primarily because of the company's 5G memorandum late last year with Huawei and PPF's dependence on China for its investments there. Another factor, Spurný said, is the way Petr Kellner acts in concert with Pres. Miloš Zeman, who is an active supporter of China and Huawei. If confirmed, this information would greatly affect PPF's risk profile for creditors in China and elsewhere, which means that Kellner has every reason to use his considerable influence over the Czech government and the media to prevent it from becoming more than just a story in a news magazine. The NÚKIB cybersecurity office has the upper hand: It has the authority to order the vetting of critical-infrastructure personnel.
Glossary of difficult words
to lustrate - to vet as part of a lustration process;bombshell - a sudden and often unpleasant piece of news;
in concert - acting jointly;
risk profile - the threats to which an organization is exposed;
to have the upper hand - to be in a position of advantage;
to vet - to verify the background of someone in order to ensure that he or she is suitable for a job requiring secrecy, loyalty or trustworthiness.