Announcement of the Executive Committee of the Union of Czech Philatelists (SČF)
            
The Executive Committee of SČF considered and decided:

1. Collective report of the Extraordinary Commission of the Presidium of SČF concerning counterfeit letters (see article by J. Stupka in the journal Filatelie).

2. The first public mention of signatures (mark) of Union experts on counterfeits was described in Filatelie 9/1997 focusing on the difficulties confronting SČF experts, followed by commentary of the S ČF Commission of Experts in Filatelie 4/12/1997, p.26.

3.Further instances were added by Jiří Stupka in Filatelie 4/2002 and 4/2003.

4. Extensive articles by Fratišek Beneš, LLD with criticism of Union experts were published in Filatelie 11/2003 and 12/2003 as well as letters to the editor of Filatelie, particularly criticism from reader J. Dvořak about the incorrect action of P. Pittermann who admitted his erroneous certificates No. 62 - 64 from 1997, but he did not warn the public about them.

Based on all available texts, conclusions, and reasons presented, it does not appear that signatures (marks) on the covers and certificates prepared by Ing. Jan Karásek and Ing. Pavel Pittermann were counterfeited, or that the covers were not signed as genuinethese Union experts.

Given its responsibility to protect collectors from counterfeiters of postage stamps and other philatelic material and to cooperate with other relevant organization in exposing counterfeits (see § 5 Statutes of SCF), and given the seriousness of the situation, the Executive Committee of the SČF decided temporarily to suspend the SČF Expert Committe as an advisory body to the Presidium of the SCF, effective immediately.

In connection with the cessation of activities of the Commission of Experts of the SČF, the Executive Committee of the SČF decided to temporarily suspend the activities of its chairman Ing. Pavel Pittermann, also effective immediately.

The Executive Committee of the SČF also decided to temporarily suspend the activities of the Testing Laboratory of the SČF and not to renew the agreement with its Director, Ing. Pavel Pittermann.

For the period of the temporary suspension of the activities of the Commission of Experts of the SČF, the Secretary of the SČF will organize (expertization) services. Experts of the SČF may conduct appropriate expertizing activities within the parameters established by their commissions and on their own responsibility.

For the correctness:
Jaroslav Malecek
Secretary, SČF