5 February 2008
Raiffeisenbank and eBanka paid the reward of CZK 500 thousand
Today, Raiffeisenbank a.s. and eBanka, a.s. have paid the reward of half a million koruna for finding the perpetrator of bank robberies. The reward of CZK 500 thousand for information leading to capture of robbers of Raiffeisenbank’s and eBanka’s branches still holds.
Today, Raiffeisenbank and eBanka have paid the promised reward of half a million koruna for the capture of the perpetrator of robberies of their branches, when the armed robber threatened the lives of the bank’s staff and clients. The reward was paid to a police officer who has revealed a robber who committed a series of robberies of branch offices in Prague at the turn of the last and this year. „We are pleased to pay the reward in only a few weeks after announcing it. We firmly believe that the 500 thousand reward that will be effective in the future as well will contribute to immediate capture of criminals, but most of all will discourage possible future perpetrators of such brutal crimes,“ said the CEO of Raiffeisenbank, Lubor Žalman, at the occasion of the reward ceremony.
„Today is a non-standard day for the Czech Police. It is an exceptional appreciation of a police officer who acted against a dangerous criminal in a truly professional, brave, sharp and tactical manner. During a common check in a bar he became suspicious of talking to a man resembling the perpetrator of a series of bank robberies. He then risked his life and gave no chance to the armed criminal to get lost in the streets of Prague,“ said the director of the Prague Police administration, plk. JUDr. Petr Želásko.
„I believe that cooperation of banks and other financial institutions in revealing perpetrators of robberies will expand in the future,“ Petr Želásko added.
„According to our and foreign experience, close collaboration of the Police and banks in preventing robberies and finding the perpetrators is the only long-term measure for fighting such crimes. We highly appreciate our past cooperation with the Czech Police and we will further expand and continue in our efforts,“ added Martin Kolouch, the CEO of eBanka.
The reward announced for information leading to the capture of the perpetrators of robberies of Raiffeisenbank’s and eBanka’s branches in the years 2007 and 2008 still holds. For the purpose of this announcement, “capture” shall stand for charges brought up before a court. The reward will be paid to the person whom the prosecuting authority names as the person submitting the above information. Citizens can submit their information leading to the capture of perpetrators by calling the Police on the line 158.
Tomáš Kofroň
Raiffeisenbank a.s.
Basic information about Raiffeisenbank a.s. and eBanka, a.s.
Raiffeisenbank a.s. (RBCZ) has been providing a wide range of banking services in the Czech Republic to individual as well as corporate clients since 1993. eBanka started its operations in the Czech market in 1998, focusing on quality services with the use of direct banking. The two banks initiated their integration in 2006. Since 2007, selected products are available to the clients in the sales networks of both banks, totalling more than 100 branch offices and client centres.
Both banks confirm their trend of dynamic development and growing profits. Over the first nine months of 2007, Raiffeisenbank increased its net profits in annual comparison by nearly 20 percent to CZK 591.8 million; total assets reached the amount of CZK 114 billion. eBanka’s net profit rose by 173 percent to CZK 169.46 million, total assets of eBanka have reached CZK 23.2 billion.
Various local and international awards confirm the quality of offered services of the two banks. In 2007, Raiffeisenbank was awarded the Most Dynamic Bank in the prestigious MasterCard Bank of the Year contest for the second consecutive time. It has also won the third place in the main category of the Bank of the Year. eBanka regularly achieves awards for the best account and ranked third in this category in 2007. In the Zlatá koruna 2007 competition, eBanka has won the first place in the category of payment cards for the payment card locking service and eBanka’s internet banking has won in its category as well.
The majority shareholder of the two banks is the Austrian financial institution Raiffeisen International Bank Holding AG. In 16 markets of Central and Eastern Europe, Raiffeisen International serves over 13 million clients at 3,000 sales points. Since 2005, the group’s shares have been quoted at the Vienna Stock Exchange. The majority shareholder is RZB Group with 68.5 percent; the remaining part is traded freely on the stock exchange.
In July 2007, Raiffeisen International received Euromoney’s Best Bank in Central and Eastern Europe award for the third consecutive time. In addition, the network’s banks received awards for the best banks in five countries of the region. The company also received the Best Bank in Central and Eastern Europe awards from the Global Finance and The Banker magazines.
Raiffeisenbank a.s. · Olbrachtova 9 · 140 21, Praha 4, Czech Republic
Tel.: 221 141 170 · Fax: 221 142 170
Internet: http://www.rb.cz · E-mail: