Michael Kocáb Politician

Michael Kocáb (born 28 July 1954) is a Czech composer, singer and political activist.Kocáb is leader of Pražský výběr, popular music band, which was suppressed by Czechoslovak communist regime in the 1980s. The band is now called Pražský výběr II as most of the band members were changed.In the beginning of the 1990s, he was the leader of a Parliament commission which negotiated the repatriation of Soviet soldiers from then-Czechoslovakia.In April 1990 Kocáb founded together with Oldřich Lichtenberg and Miloslav Zapletal a company Art Production K, where he served as chairman of the board. In May 1991 he became board member of newly privatized building company Montované stavby Praha (MSP). In January 1992 MSP founded Investment privatization fund TREND (IPF TREND) and Kocáb became chairman of its board. Another board Member was his brother-in-law Martin Kratochvíl. In January 1993 companies Art Production K (27.5%), Bonton (27.5%), MSP (10%) and Bankovní dům SKALA (35%) founded a limited liability investment company IC TREND to manage portfolio of IPF TREND for a fee. In February 1995 the managers of IPF TREND founded a closely owned corporation IC TREND for the same purpose. In August 1995 Kocáb, Kratochvíl and other owners of IC TREND sold the company to broker Královéhradecká brokerská společnost (KBS) for a substantial amount of money. The new owners of IC TREND used the acquired company as a vehicle to strip dispersed shareholders of IPF TREND from its assets. After a first fraudulent transaction by KBS managers, used to cover the costs associated with purchase of IC TREND, Kocáb and Kratochvíl resigned from the board of IPF TREND.Kocáb ran an unsuccessful bid in 2008 Senate election. In January 2009, he replaced Džamila Stehlíková as the Minister for Human Rights and Minorities.He is married and has one son and two daughters.