An alleged assassination plot in Prague has taken another twist.
Czech officials believe an alleged plot to poison politicians in Prague was a hoax sparked by infighting within Russian Embassy staff.
Prime Minister Andrej Babis said, “One embassy employee sent deliberately made-up information about a planned attack on Czech politicians” to the Czech intelligence service.
The Czech Republic said Friday it was expelling two Russian diplomats, who were given 48 hours to leave the country. The Russian Embassy called the expulsions a “fabricated provocation.”
Details of the alleged plot emerged in Czech magazine, Respekt, in April. The magazine reported that a suspected Russian intelligence agent had recently traveled to the Czech capital on a diplomatic passport with a suitcase containing ricin that was meant to assassinate at least two politicians.
Czech news outlets later identified the suspected intelligence officer as Andrei Konchakov, the director of the Russian Center for Science and Culture in Prague. Konchakov said that he was carrying “disinfectant and sweets” in his suitcase, not poison.
In response, the local mayors were given police protection. The Russian Embassy also requested police protection for Konchakov, citing threats he had received in the wake of the reports.
Konchakov and a second embassy employee in Prague, both of whom had diplomatic status, were ordered to leave.
“This whole affair was initiated as a consequence of an internal fight between employees of the Russian Embassy in Prague,” Babis said.
