Report Of Czech’s Flight ‘Fabricated’

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31278, 26 January 1967, Page 14

Report Of Czech’s Flight ‘Fabricated’

The Legation of the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic in Wellington is perturbed at a report of the disappearance in New Plymouth of a Czechoslovakian citizen and his actions when taken to the New Plymouth police station. The legation has asked that a correction written by it be published. Mr B. Benes was reported as running away from the police station when taken there to await information as to who he was, and to wait until those who knew him could come to take him away.

The legation's statement says:—

“Owing to inaccuracies in that news the Czechoslovak Legation in Wellington would like to state the following: “Mr J. F. Benes of Melbourne has not been living in Czechoslovakia for the last 15 years and consequently has no idea about life in our country. “The explanation of the flight of Mr Benes senior from New Plymouth’s police station by a report “that his 76-year-old father had little to do with the Czechoslovak police’ is purely fabricated. “The mentioned news which said ‘that another son had to guarantee the return of his father to Czechoslovakia' is slanderous and also purely fabricated. “The facts exist to prove that the relatives of Czechoslovak citizens who left the country are visiting their Czechoslovak relations regularly and without any guarantee. Even a few of these people, New Zealandnaturalised, visited Czechoslovakia in recent years. “Those who have not been happy in New Zealand have returned to Czechoslovakia again. Under the Amnesty of Resident A. Novotny free return for all Czechoslovak refugees was guaranteed. “Mr F. J. Benes probably belongs to the kind of people who would like to pay off old scores at the expense of other people. “He could not expect the trip for his father to Australia to be paid by the Czecho-

Slovak authorities. However, the Czechoslovak Travel Bureau (C.E.D.0.K.) gave to Mr Benes senior a cheque for £2s—to be spent on medicine or hospital bills only. These would normally come under free medical care in Czechoslovakia, a thing which does not exist in many other countries.

“In conclusion, the Czechoslovak Legation states that all foreign visitors are given a friendly welcome in Czechoslovakia, the trips abroad of Czechoslovak citizens are favoured, and no person, regardless of citizenship, is subject to conviction unless he violates Czechoslovak law. “No guarantee is required

in Czechoslovakia in connexion with travels abroad. “Over two million foreign people visited Czechoslovakia last year and nearly threequarters of a million Czechoslovak citizens went abroad during the same period.”