Babiš seeks to face charges over Stork’s Nest affair but decision delayed

Vote on immunity postponed

MPs were due to vote on Tuesday afternoon on whether to allow the police to press criminal charges against the prime minister and his deputy for the abuse of EU funds in connection with the Stork’s Nest complex. In the end, the decision was pushed onto the backburner. Mr. Babiš and Mr. Faltýnek had made the call for immunity to be lifted.

The prime minister has consistently denied any wrongdoing and said the affair was intended to force him out of politics. The previous Chamber of Deputies had stripped the pair of their immunity, also on their request, but they regained it with re-election in October. The prime minister and his close associate are accused of misusing 50 million crowns of EU funding for Stork’s Nest, a conference centre and farm south of Prague. On Tuesday Mr. Babiš sharply criticised a report on the matter produced by the European Anti-Fraud Office, known as OLAF.

Author: Jan Velinger