Czech police ask parliament to allow prosecution of prospective PM Babis

PRAGUE: Czech police have requested parliament lift the immunity of prospective prime minister Andrej Babis to allow prosecution in a case involving alleged fraud in tapping European Union subsidies, the lower house’s press office said on Tuesday.
Babis, whose ANO party was the runaway winner in a parliamentary election in October on pledges to run the state better and fight corruption among traditional parties, denies any wrongdoing and has called the charges politically motivated.
Police suspect the billionaire businessman hid ownership of the Stork’s Nest farm and convention centre almost a decade ago to get a two million euro EU subsidy that was part of a program aimed at small businesses. Lawmakers already voted in September to allow his prosecution, but Babis won immunity again with his re-election. He said on Tuesday the new request to lift immunity was further evidence of a campaign against him.
“The speed at which they are coming after me again only shows what huge fear the corrupt system has; how much this old system is afraid of me and howtenaciously they are trying to get me,” Babis was quoted by CTK news agency as saying.