Court upholds acquittal of former defense minister charged with asking US ambassador for bribe

A Prague appeals court has upheld a lower court verdict to acquit a former defense minister of soliciting a bribe.

Martin Bartak was charged after former U.S. ambassador William Cabaniss accused him of asking for a bribe.

Prague's Municipal Court ruled in May there was insufficient evidence, and the High Court confirmed that decision on Wednesday. Bartak has denied wrongdoing.

Cabaniss accused Bartak of asking for $5 million in 2008 to solve a problem with a supplier that threatened a $150 million deal for Czech truck-maker Tatra AS.

Cabaniss, who was chairman of Tatra's supervisory board, was the U.S. ambassador to Prague from 2003 to 2006. He accused Bartak in 2010.