Zdeněk Sovák, a former judge of the High Court in Prague, died at the age of 76; the news of his death was published on 3 October 2026 by the Seznam Zprávy website, which took it over from the judicial association Spolek Šalamoun [1][2]. According to the website, the association said it had learned of the death from Sovák's family [1][3].
Judicial career
Sovák was a long-serving criminal judge who worked at the Supreme Court in Brno and then at the High Court in Prague [1]. The police charged him in December 2020, shortly before the end of his judicial career, and after the charges were announced he spent three months in custody [1][3].
Indictment
The indictment accuses him mainly of accepting bribes and abuse of the powers of an official, for which he faced five to twelve years in prison [3]. According to the indictment, together with other people he was to plan to offer the construction company Metrostav influence over an appeal proceeding following a non-final ban on public contracts in the corruption case of the former Central Bohemian governor David Rath, in return for a bribe of up to 150 million crowns [1][3]. Police detectives of the National Organised Crime Agency wiretapped the accused for several months, and Metrostav itself reported the attempts at corruption to the police [1]. Sovák denied guilt and, by his own account, did not take the recordings seriously [1][3].
Proceedings after the death
The court had been hearing the case since 2024, and the trial was at the stage before the closing speeches [2][3]. According to ČT24, death is by law one of the grounds for discontinuing criminal prosecution. According to Seznam Zprávy, proceedings against the other accused are continuing [1][2].
Chronology
- — Former judge Zdeněk Sovák, who had been indicted on corruption charges over a bribe of 150 million crowns, has died. Seznam Zprávy ČT24
Sources
- Seznam Zprávy — 3 October 2026
- ČT24 — 3 October 2026
- iDNES.cz — 3 October 2026