A European lawmaker is sentenced in a fraud case involving Czech populist leader Andrej Babiš
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PRAGUE (AP) — A Czech court on Monday convicted a former associate of populist Prime Minister Andrej Babiš of fraud and handed her a three-year suspended sentence and a fine.
Babiš was also a defendant alongside Jana Nagyová in the $2 million fraud case involving European Union subsidies but could not be sentenced because lawmakers in the lower house of Parliament rejected in March a motion to lift his immunity from prosecution.
The populist billionaire began his third term as prime minister in December. He has said that the case was “clearly politically motivated.” The rejection of the motion means that he can only stand trial after his term ends in 2029.
Nagyová is currently a member of the European Parliament, which has lifted her immunity. Prague’s Municipal Court also fined her 500,000 koruna, or crowns ($24,000).
The verdict is not final and she can appeal.
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 his family members. Later, Agrofert again took ownership of the farm.
The subsidies were meant for small- and medium-sized enterprises, meaning that Agrofert wouldn’t have been eligible. The conglomerate later returned the subsidy.
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 EU policies.