Supreme Court upholds Tofl gang verdicts

The Supreme Court has upheld nine of the 11 sentences served to members of the notorious Tofl gang which was found guilty of bribery, extortion and abuse of office. The accused received sentences of 3 to 9 years and hefty fines. The gang is named after a former head of the regional economic crime squad who together with several former colleagues threatened entrepreneurs in Moravia. They elicited large sums of money for withdrawing trumped up charges against them and in some cases even threatened to murder or abduct family members if the money was not delivered. Ten of the convicted appealed the verdict. Only the case of Petr Kripsky, who received 4.5 years in jail will have to be reviewed by the regional court in Brno. The other verdicts are now binding.