Czech secret services to have extended powers

Czech Chamber of Deputies on Wednesday passed a bill that extends the secret services' powers, giving them the rights to access to the tax and banking secrecy and data from telecom operators.

Under the bill, the secret services would be able to ask tax information from the General Financial Directorate. The office will not be obliged to provide data if this threatened the effective tax collection.

Agents would be able to ask for data of telecommunication operators on their clients in fulfilling a specific task and be able to identify the owner of the telephone station or the telephone number of the phone from which the phone call is made.

The bill also lifts the restriction of access to data protected by banking secrecy exclusively in cases of financing terrorism.

The bill aims to help gain information on people connected with organised crime and money laundering. It will improve the conditions of uncovering corruption, effort to influence the functioning of state-controlled institutions and financial support for terrorism abroad.

The legislation will be submitted to the Senate for approval.