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Czech ex-Premier Babis acquitted in EU funds fraud case

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Former Czech Republic's Prime Minister and presidential candidate Andrej Babis addresses media during a press conference in Pruhonice, Czech Republic, Monday, Jan. 9, 2023. On Monday Prague court acquitted former Prime Minister Andrej Babis of fraud charges in a $2 million case involving European Union subsidies. A prosecutor requested a three-year suspended sentence and a fine of 10 million Czech koruna ($440,000) for the populist billionaire. The prosecution still can appeal. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

PRAGUE ā€“ A Prague court on Monday acquitted former Prime Minister Andrej Babis of fraud charges in a $2 million case involving European Union subsidies.

A prosecutor requested a three-year suspended sentence and a fine of 10 million Czech koruna ($440,000) for the populist billionaire. The prosecution still can appeal.

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Babis pleaded not guilty and repeatedly said the charges against him were politically motivated.

He wasn't present at Pragueā€™s Municipal Court on Monday. His former associate, Jana Nagyova, who signed the subsidy request, was also acquitted.

Judge Jan Sott said what they did ā€œis not a crime." At the same time, Sott dismissed the notion that Babis was persecuted because of his political activities.

ā€œINNOCENT!" Babis tweeted after the verdict. ā€œI'm really glad that we have an independent judiciary and the court confirmed what I kept saying from the beginning. That I am innocent and haven't done anything illegal."

ā€œI'm glad that the court recognized the arguments of my defense," he said later Monday.

The ruling is a boost for Babis just days before the first round of the Czech presidential election.

ā€œIā€™m running to help the people,ā€ Babis said.

Babis is considered a front-runner in the two-day election starting Friday, along with retired army Gen. Petr Pavel, former chairman of NATOā€™s military committee, and former university rector Danuse Nerudova.

Prime Minister Petr Fiala said itā€™s necessary to accept the verdict of an independent court.

ā€œWhatā€™s crucial: The real political battles in democracies take place at elections, and not in court rooms,ā€ Fiala tweeted and asked Czechs to go to the ballot box in the forthcoming election.

Both Pavel and Nerudova are backed by the current coalition government.

The Babis case involved a farm known as the Storkā€™s Nest, which received EU subsidies after its ownership was transferred from the Babis-owned Agrofert conglomerate of around 250 companies to Babisā€™ family members. Later, Agrofert again took ownership of the farm.

The subsidies were meant for medium- and small-sized businesses, and Agrofert wouldnā€™t have been eligible for them. Agrofert later returned the subsidy.

Lawmakers have had to lift Babisā€™ immunity from prosecution three times over the years in the case, which dates back to 2007.

Pragueā€™s public prosecution office completed the review of the case in March and went ahead with Babisā€™ indictment. It was repeatedly recommended by police investigators.

Babisā€™ centrist ANO movement finished a surprise second in the 2013 parliamentary election with an anti-corruption message to become a junior partner in the government with Babis as finance minister. Four years later, he won the election and became premier.

Babis has become a divisive figure in Czech politics.

A quarter of a million people took to the streets ā€” the biggest such demonstrations since the 1989 anti-Communist Velvet Revolution ā€” twice in 2019 to demand that Babis step down over scandals, including the conflict of interest over EU subsidies involving his former business empire.

Babisā€™ movement lost the parliamentary election in October. A coalition of five parties formed a new government, and ANO ended up in opposition.


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