Czech Senate Urges Prime Minister Babis To Resign Amid Fraud Probe

Members of the upper chamber of the Czech parliament, the Senate, adopted a decree on Thursday urging the prime minister and dollar billionaire, Andrej Babis, to resign before the end of the investigation into his alleged abuses in obtaining a EU subsidy of one of his firms amounting to 2 million euros ($2.2 million).

PRAGUE (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 15th November, 2018) Members of the upper chamber of the Czech parliament, the Senate, adopted a decree on Thursday urging the prime minister and Dollar billionaire, Andrej Babis, to resign before the end of the investigation into his alleged abuses in obtaining a EU subsidy of one of his firms amounting to 2 million Euros ($2.2 million).

"The Senate of the Czech Republic considers it unacceptable for Andrej Babis to continue working in the government until the end of the investigation into suspicions of fraud in obtaining the EU subsidy on the firm Stork Nest," the statement published by the Senate's press service said.

The Senate adopted this statement after the prime minister did not attend the meeting with lawmakers on Thursday, where he was invited, referring to his tight schedule, as well as did not say when he could come.

"The information that has appeared in media in recent days in connection with the Stork Nest firm case arouses suspicion that the investigation into this case is not independent.

The Senate could not ignore this situation," senator Milos Vystrcil told reporters.

On Tuesday, leaders of six Czech opposition parties demanded in a joint statement the resignation of the government, saying that they intend to raise this issue at a meeting of the lower house of parliament early next week. The opposition said that the reason for this was an alleged attempt of Babis to send his son to Crimea to avoid questionings in the case against his father.

On January 19, 2018, the Czech parliament stripped Babis of parliamentary immunity in connection with the investigation conducted by the police in relation to him as the head of Agrofert, the largest corporation in Eastern Europe. The police suspect Babis of illegally obtaining the EU subsidy for the firm Stork Nest that was part of the corporation, but was later removed from its structure. The company received the EU subsidy as a small company, after which it was again incorporated into Agrofert.