Czech lawmakers will vote on lifting immunity for populist leader Babiš over EU fraud case

PRAGUE (AP) — Lawmakers in the lower house of the Czech Parliament were set to decide on Thursday whether to lift Prime Minister Andrej Babiš ’ immunity from prosecution in a $2 million fraud case involving European Union subsidies.

The approval would allow Prague’s Municipal Court to deal with the case and issue a verdict. The court had acquitted Babiš twice before but an appeals court canceled those rulings, saying they did not properly assess evidence and requested the lower court issue a guilty verdict in a retrial.

Babiš had pleaded not guilty and said the case “is clearly politically motivated.” The prosecution had originally requested a suspended sentence and a fine to be paid by the populist billionaire, who began his third term as prime minister in December.

The case centered around a farm known as the Stork’s Nest, which received EU subsidies after its ownership was transferred from the Babiš-owned Agrofert conglomerate to Babiš’ family members. Later, Agrofert again took ownership of the farm.

The subsidies were meant for small and medium enterprises, meaning that Agrofert wouldn’t have been eligible. The conglomerate later returned the subsidy.

Babiš’ former associate Jana Nagyová, who signed the subsidy request, will face retrial. She is currently a member of European Parliament, which has already lifted her immunity.

Babiš returned to power after his ANO, or YES, movement won big in an October election, forming a governing coalition with two small political groups, the Freedom and Direct Democracy anti-migrant party and the right-wing Motorists.

The coalition’s agenda includes steering the country away from supporting Ukraine and rejecting some key European Union policies.