The company Energetický Holding Malina, which promised to deliver solar panels to thousands of people but failed to do so, is now facing difficulties. The firm is seeking an investor who can help stabilize its situation and continue to deliver solar power plants.
However, one of the company’s owners and its new director, Jan Urban, has transferred his property to relatives. On January 10, 2023, a member of the board of Malina transferred ownership of the real estate in Kladno and other properties in Prague’s Žižkov to Jan Urban and Alice Urbanová, according to the land registry.
Urban has claimed this is a private matter unrelated to EH Malina. Urban has recently replaced Daniel Kraft as the director of Energetický Holding Malina. Previously, Kraft owned Purum, a company that processes waste in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. The company operates the Celio landfill.
However, Kraft has had problems with other companies that he was associated with. One issue involved a state contract to dispose of hazardous waste, which Aqatest promised to dispose of ecologically in 2016. Kraft was a member of the company’s board at the time. However, the waste was only deposited at the Celio landfill in Litvínov. In 2021, inspectors discovered buried barrels containing highly flammable styrenes.
As a result, environmental inspectors imposed a fine on the landfill. The police investigated the case, and after their intervention, Kraft spent a quarter of a year in custody. According to Seznam Zpráv, his bail was set at 10 million CZK. The case is still under investigation, and investigators are pursuing charges for general endangerment, fraud, damage, and environmental endangerment, as well as violating competition rules.
The inspection also closed Kraft’s wastewater treatment plant in Březhrad in the Hradec Králové region because hazardous waste was being disposed of illegally. In 2019, Kraft’s Celio landfill near Litvínov had to pay a fine of 100,000 CZK for improper waste disposal. However, the legal problems for Kraft do not end there. In October 2022, he received an enforcement order to seize a house, which is being sought after in a debt collection case.
The problems of Energetický Holding Malina and its owners have created uncertainties for those who invested in the company’s promises of solar panels. With the company’s situation in doubt, many people seek alternative solutions to meet their energy needs. While the company’s future remains unclear, the authorities must investigate potential legal violations and ensure that investors and customers are protected.