Babiš to not attend committee meeting related to fraud charges

Prime Minister Andrej Babiš and his ANO party colleague Jaroslav Faltýnek have asked to be excused from a meeting of the lower house’s immunity committee on Tuesday that will consider allowing the police to charge them with abuse of EU subsidies. The pair say they need more time to read a report by the European Anti-Fraud Office on the matter.

MPs previously voted to lift the ANO politicians’ immunity so they could stand trial for alleged misuse of EU subsidies amounting to CZK 50 million in connection to the Stork’s Nest complex. However they reacquired it when they were reelected in October. Both deny any wrongdoing.

The immunity committee can reach a decision on whether to recommend the lifting of the pair’s immunity even if they do not speak before it.

Author: Ian Willoughby