Police have started looking into the reconstruction of Charles Bridge

Prague - The police have begun investigating the current reconstruction of the Charles Bridge. Representatives of the heritage association announced this to journalists today, which filed a criminal complaint regarding the bridge repairs in October. According to them, the police have already begun interviewing witnesses. Šárka Pokorná from the district public prosecutor's office for Prague 1 confirmed to ČTK that the case is being handled by the police.
    The Association for the Protection and Development of Cultural Heritage (ASORKD) did not specify who has been interviewed thus far. According to its representatives, criminal liability lies with the owner of the monument, i.e., the capital city of Prague. "Considering that the case involves the failure of some high-ranking public officials during the restoration of the Charles Bridge, it is a very delicate matter, and the association believes that the police will not be influenced by political circles and will remain impartial throughout the whole matter, as they have thus far," said Martin Kadrman from ASORKD to reporters today.
    The association, like other critics of the bridge repairs, such as the Club for Old Prague, is especially concerned that a building-historical survey was allegedly not conducted before the repairs began and that archaeologists were not informed. They are also dissatisfied with the chosen method of reconstruction.
    Representatives of the builders and the city hall, however, repeatedly deny that there have been any errors, which were revealed by the heritage inspection a year ago, and defend the work process. They only acknowledge minor shortcomings that, according to them, have already been rectified. At the same time, the Department of Culture and Heritage Care of the Prague city hall stated in its decision this year that the city is not adequately protecting the Charles Bridge from damage and devaluation during the reconstruction.
    In the end, the heritage department of the city hall imposed a fine of 54,000 crowns on the city itself for allegedly formal errors in the documentation, namely the absence of a new building-historical survey.