U.N. chairman tarnished by murder plot

last updated 8 January 2015

Prague

Czech politicians called for Jan Kavan to step down as chairman of the U.N. General Assembly after his former aide was accused of plotting to kill a reporter. Until he took the U.N. post this year, Kavan was the Czech foreign minister. At that time, he hired top aide Karel Srba as part of the government’s “Clean Hands” anti-corruption campaign—and later defended Srba against allegations of corruption. Last week, police charged Srba with conspiring to murder Sabina Slonkova, a reporter whose exposé of shady deals at the Foreign Ministry led to Srba’s resignation. The plot was never carried out. “If the allegations are proved,” said Sen. Michael Zantovsky, “Kavan helped to create a monster.”