Czech ex-PM's mistress guilty of setting spies on love rival Published duration 22 November 2017

image copyright AFP image caption Jana Nagyova-Necasova was Petr Necas's most senior aide

A Czech court has found the wife of a former prime minister guilty of illegally using military intelligence officers to spy on his first wife.

The court handed a two-year suspended jail sentence to Jana Nagyova-Necasova, who in 2012 was chief of staff to PM Petr Necas - and his lover.

The intelligence officers gathered information on Mr Necas's then wife, Radka, whom he was divorcing.

The judge said Nagyova was motivated by a "profound hatred" of her rival.

She said Nagyova had abused her position as the chief of staff to a "submissive" Mr Necas.

The scandal contributed to the downfall of Mr Necas's centre-right government in 2013.

He married Nagyova only weeks after his divorce.

image copyright Getty Images image caption Petr Necas divorced his then wife Radka Necasova and married Jana Nagyova soon afterwards

Nagyova was not in court to hear the sentencing on Wednesday but her lawyer said she would probably appeal.

The court also imposed suspended jail terms of 18 to 20 months on three intelligence officials.

Nagyova had previously been acquitted twice by the same court on the abuse of power charges, but the decisions were later annulled by the Prague municipal court.

The government of Mr Necas collapsed in turmoil amid a string of corruption scandals in 2013.

Charges against Jana Nagyova and other senior officials were brought after armed police in balaclavas staged a series of high-profile raids on government offices and businesses.