PRAGUE, March 28 (Reuters) - Czech police have detained a fourth suspect following an arson attack on an optics and drones factory this month and a court has ordered the person be held in custody,
Czech Police Detain Fourth Suspect after Arson Attack on LPP Defence Factory
Details and Developments in the LPP Factory Arson Case
Overview of the Incident
PRAGUE, March 28 (Reuters) - Czech police have detained a fourth suspect following an arson attack on an optics and drones factory this month and a court has ordered the person be held in custody, police said on X on Saturday.
A previously unknown pro-Palestinian activist group had claimed responsibility for the March 20 attack on the LPP company's factory in Pardubice, east of Prague, which caused millions of dollars in damage.
Suspects and Ongoing Investigation
Details about the Fourth Suspect
Police said the newly detained person held Czech citizenship but did not specify if it was a man or a woman. A search for other suspects continued, police said.
The fourth suspect denied participation in any illegal activity, news agency CTK quoted the judge who ordered the person be held in custody as saying.
Other Detained Individuals
Czech police had earlier detained an Egyptian man and a Czech woman and charged them with terrorism. Another person, a U.S. citizen, had been detained in neighbouring Slovakia in relation to the attack.
Motives and Company Background
Claims of Responsibility
The group that claimed responsibility has said in a statement posted online that the targeted company was developing weapons for Israel.
LPP’s Business Activities
Cooperation with Israeli Firms
LPP Holding announced plans to cooperate with Israeli group Elbit Systems in 2023, but says those plans have not been implemented.
Exports to Ukraine
LPP production includes drones that are exported to Ukraine, which has been fighting Russian forces since Moscow's 2022 full-scale invasion.
Legal Proceedings and Statements
Defense Statements
A lawyer for the detained Egyptian said in a statement on Saturday released through Czech news website www.denikreferendum.cz that the suspect, whom he identified only as M, stated that he had an alibi for the time of the attack.
The website said a request filed for taking the Egyptian man and Czech woman into custody, provided to them by the lawyer, showed the two had denied taking part in the attack.
(Reporting by Jan LopatkaEditing by Keith Weir)
