Police investigators have proposed pressing charges of EU subsidy fraud and
damaging the interests of the European Union against Czech Prime Minister
Andrej Babiš,and several family members including his wife, Czech Radio
reported citing police sources.
The police investigation into the so-called Stork’s Nest affair, in which
the prime minister is suspected of having illegally tapped into a 50
million crown EU subsidy ten years ago, has been concluded and the files
have been handed over to the chief state attorney who will decide on
whether to file charges.
If the prime minister is stripped of his immunity, tried and found guilty
he could face a jail sentence of between five and ten years.
The prime minister has consistently denied the allegations and said on
Wednesday that the timing of the police proposal for charges to be filed
showed that the whole affair was politically motivated. He said there was
no reason to hold an emergency meeting of the ruling coalition over the
development.
Deputy Prime Minister and head of the Social Democrats Jan Hamáček said
his party would wait for the decision of the State Attorney’s Office
before reaching any conclusions.