Former populist Prime Minister Andrej Babis’ retrial started Wednesday after an appeals court dismissed a previous ruling acquitting him of fraud charges in a $2 million case involving European Union subsidies.
In September, Prague’s High Court canceled the lower court’s decision and ordered the case to be retried at Prague’s Municipal Court.
The case centered around a farm known as the Stork’s Nest, which received EU subsidies after its ownership was transferred from the Babis-owned Agrofert conglomerate of around 250 companies to Babis’ family members. Later, Agrofert again took ownership of the farm.
The subsidies were meant for medium- and small-sized businesses and Agrofert wouldn’t have been eligible for them. The conglomerate later returned the subsidy.
Prague’s Municipal Court also acquitted in January Babis’ former associate, Jana Nagyova, who signed the subsidy request.
The former premier pleaded not guilty and repeatedly said the charges against him were politically motivated.
The prosecution asked on Wednesday for suspended sentences, possible for such a crime in the Czech Republic, and fines for the two.
It was not immediately clear when the verdict would be announced.
Babis, a billionaire, is currently part of the country’s opposition after his populist ANO centrist movement lost the 2021 parliamentary election. He also contended for the largely ceruminous post of president in January last year but lost to Petr Pavel, a retired army general.
