Leaked EC report says Czech PM faces conflict of interest

According to a confidential European Commission legal opinion cited by The Guardian, Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš faces a conflict of interest over European Union funds paid to his company.

The leaked report, seen by The Guardian, concludes that Babiš is in a situation that “qualifies as a conflict of interest”, because public officials and politicians should not benefit from EU funds they ultimately control. The taxpayers of the Czech Republic thus face being asked to repay at least some of the €82m paid to the conglomerate Agrofert in 2018, legal experts say.

The European Commission was asked to investigate the matter after Transparency Czech Republic said it had evidence that although Babiš put Agrofert in a trust fund, he remains the beneficial owner, in breach of Czech and EU law.

Prime Minister Babiš dismissed the report as yet another slander campaign against him. He said that according to his lawyers he had not breached any laws.