Czech President Petr Pavel said he paid €18,750 out of his own pocket for private flights during a holiday in Morocco, following controversy over his decision to briefly return home to vote in local elections before flying back to the Kingdom.
In a statement published Friday, October 16, Pavel said the presidential office had neither organized nor financed the trip, responding to questions from Czech politicians over who covered the travel expenses.
Pavel departed Prague for Morocco on October 2 aboard a private aircraft chartered for the Fesh Fesh team, which was participating in the Rallye du Maroc.
Although the organizers offered spare seats, Pavel said he paid €3,750 for his place on the flight.
The larger expense came on October 9, when the president interrupted his holiday to return to the Czech Republic and vote in municipal elections in Černouček, the village where he lives.
He flew from Casablanca to Prague and back aboard an aircraft operated by a Moroccan private transport company, paying €15,000 as his share of the total cost.
The journey was arranged by fellow traveler Tomáš Šebek, who accompanied Pavel alongside Pavel Kubíček and a member of the presidential security detail.
Pavel had initially planned to miss the elections because of his holiday, drawing criticism from politicians and the public, particularly given his previous appeals for citizens to participate in elections.
He subsequently acknowledged that decision as a mistake and returned to cast his ballot.
After completing his holiday, Pavel returned to the Czech Republic on October 15 aboard a scheduled commercial flight.
The president said he considered the financial disclosure important for transparency but rejected political interference in his private life.
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