Babiš asks MPs not to strip him of his immunity

The lower house is expected to vote on whether to strip the former prime minister and ANO leader, Andrej Babiš, of his parliamentary immunity opening the way for prosecution on charges of EU subsidy fraud. The lower house’s Immunity Committee has recommended that this be done. On the other hand, Mr. Babiš sent MPs in the Chamber of Deputies a letter urging them not to do so, saying that the Stork’s Nest affair is an attempt to drive him out of politics and arguing that such a move could set a precedent that might one day turn against them. Mr. Babiš is suspected of having illegally acquired a 2 million euro EU subsidy for his Stork’s Nest compound in the years before he entered top politics.

Babiš’s parliamentary immunity was removed twice before, in 2017 and 2018, but prosecutors failed to file charges against him. The police have repeatedly recommended his indictment.