Former Czech Football Chief Miroslav Pelta Convicted of Fraud Again

Miroslav Pelta, ex-head of the Czech Football Association, was sentenced to 5.5 years in prison for fraud. Additionally, he was fined 5 million Czech crowns and banned from executive roles for five years. This retrial follows previous similar sentences in 2021 and 2023, which were overturned on appeal.

In a significant legal development, Miroslav Pelta, the former head of the Czech Football Association, has been found guilty of fraud once again. On Tuesday, Prague's Municipal Court issued a 5.5-year prison sentence to Pelta, accompanied by a fine of 5 million Czech crowns ($221,000) and a five-year ban from holding any executive positions.

The verdict came in a retrial of the case. Previous sentences handed down in 2021 and 2023 were annulled by an appeals court, which returned the matter to the original court for reconsideration. Also implicated in the case, Simona Kratochvilova, a former deputy education minister, received a six-year prison sentence, a six-year public office ban, and a fine of 2 million Czech crowns ($88,000).

Both Pelta and Kratochvilova maintain their innocence and have the option to appeal the latest decision. The case dates back to 2017, involving a police raid on the Czech Football Association and FK Jablonec offices, which Pelta partially owned. Prosecutors accused Pelta of using his connections with Kratochvilova to improperly direct state subsidies totaling 176 million Czech crowns ($7.8 million).

(With inputs from agencies.)