Polish President Andrzej Duda is among several world leaders who may have received untaxed alcohol from former Czech President Miloš Zeman, an investigation has found.
According to police testimonies obtained by the Czech investigative website Seznam Zprávy, Zeman distributed bottles of slivovitz—a potent plum brandy—to foreign dignitaries in personalized containers bearing his signature.
The bottles were allegedly filled with leftover alcohol that Zeman had received as gifts, repackaged without the legally required excise tax band.
Zeman, known for his fondness for slivovitz, amassed a collection of spirits over his tenure.
But instead of drinking them, he allegedly had the remaining contents poured into custom bottles, which he then presented to visiting heads of state.
Among the recipients were former Hungarian President Katalin Novák, Israeli President Isaac Herzog and even Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani—potentially violating Islamic law, Seznam Zprávy noted.
Duda allegedly received 10 bottles as part of the illicit distribution.
The revelations could have legal consequences, as the office of current Czech President Petr Pavel has not ruled out filing a criminal complaint, the report added.
