Police raid VZP headquarters and multiple pharma firms over past contracts

Police units of the National Central Bureau against Organized Crime carried out simultaneous operations at the headquarters of the Czech health insurer Všeobecná zdravotní pojišťovna (VZP) and at about ten pharmaceutical companies, according to reports. The raids are tied to earlier contracts between the insurer and the drug firms. Authorities detained Petr Hoňk, who previously served as VZP’s deputy director and head of its Ústí regional office; he now chairs the board of Přibram Hospital and has been placed on a pre-planned leave.

VZP’s spokesperson, Viktorie Plívová, said the organization is offering full and maximum cooperation, supplying all data and documents demanded by investigators. The head of the Association of Innovative Pharmaceutical Industry, David Kolář, confirmed that all member companies are cooperating with the NCOZ, though the probe targets third-party entities rather than the association’s members. The investigation underscores ongoing scrutiny of relationships between the health insurer and the pharmaceutical sector.