Investigators of PM’s Stork‘s Nest case ask to extend investigation by two months

Prague criminal investigators, who are currently looking into the Stork’s Nest fraud case connected to Prime Minister Andrej Babiš have asked their investigation be extended by two months. The police team was supposed to be finished by the end of June, but now says it needs more time to secure evidence.

Storks Nest is a recreation and hotel complex in Central Bohemia, which asked for CZK 50 million in EU funds to help in its construction. The official owner of the complex was a small company. However, investigators suspect the entity was indirectly connected to the prime minister’s multibillion Agrofert conglomerate and therefore should not have been eligible to the EU grant.

The case was closed for lack of evidence by the main prosecutor last year, but subsequently restarted upon review by Supreme Public Prosecutor Pavel Zeman and the Czech prime minister therefore remains under criminal prosecution.