Andrej Babisz's troubles. Former Czech prime minister again before the court regarding the extortion of the EU subsidy

Before the Court of Appeal in Prague, the appeal proceedings began on Monday in the case of extracting EU subsidy in the amount of EUR 2 million, which has been extending for 10 years. Former Prime Minister Andrej Babisz and his colleague Jan Nagyov have been acquitted twice, which the prosecutor's office does not agree with.

The former prime minister (2017-2021) and the leader of the largest opposition party Ano Babisz and Nagyova, currently MEP, did not want to comment on the proceedings.

The Court of Appeal may maintain the decision of the Court of First Instance, but also order the case to be re -examined. The media announced that the court will conduct its own evidentiary proceedings and later may order the Court of first instance to take into account new evidence and statements of witnesses.

It is not clear when the Court of Appeal announces the judgment, so whether the case will be legally resolved before the autumn parliamentary elections, in which Babisza's party may win.

The accusation claims that Babisz as the owner of the Agrofert group – one of the largest Czech companies in the food and chemical industry – at the turn of 2007 and 2008 organized the removal from its structures to build and then manage the conference and leisure center of the stork nest, so that the company could apply for an EU subsidy for small and medium -sized enterprises. A few years after receiving the Stork subsidy, the nest returned to Agrofert.

From Prague Piotr Górecki (PAP)

PTG/ AKL/