The Prague Court acquitted former prime minister and presidential candidate Andrej Babiš for alleged fraud in the so-called Stork Nest case involving the alleged illegal tapping of €2 million in EU subsidies to build a congress centre.
In a ruling on Monday, the Prague Court ruled that Babiš and his former advisor Jana Nagyová did not commit a crime, though the state attorney can still appeal the ruling.
“I have repeatedly said I have never done anything illegal. I have not broken the law. This case has always been used in various elections,” Babiš said in reaction to the ruling.
The state prosecutor mounted a case against the former prime minister, claiming he allegedly separated the Stork Nest centre from the Agrofert holding, an agrochemical giant he controlled, to apply for EU subsidies for small and medium-sized enterprises – proposing he should receive a €415,000 fine and a three-year suspended sentence. A suspended sentence was also proposed for Nagyová, along with a fine of €20,000.
The court’s ruling comes a few days before the first round of the Czech presidential elections set to take place on Friday and Saturday (13-14 January).
Babiš is even among the favourites, with the latest opinion poll conducted by Ipsos and Median pointing to him possibly reaching 26.5% and making it to the second round.
The closely watched court case and Monday’s verdict sparked reactions from politicians.
“The judgment of an independent court must be respected. Everybody has formed an opinion about the case, which has been followed by the public for many years,” Prime Minister and political opponent of Babiš, Petr Fiala (ODS, ECR), told the media on Monday.
(Aneta Zachová | EURACTIV.cz)
Source: euractiv.com
