Babiš can no longer be acquitted in Stork’s Nest case, says High Court representative

Monday’s ruling of the High Court in Prague which found ANO party leader Andrej Babiš and and his former aide Jana Nagyová guilty of unlawfully securing a CZK 50 million EU subsidy, effectively strips  the lower court of the power to acquit them, High Court spokesperson Vít Vatra told reporters. He said the Prague City Court, which must now reopen the Stork’s Nest case, will be bound by the High Court’s legal assessment and findings,

According to the appellate ruling, both defendants committed subsidy fraud and harmed the financial interests of the European Union. While the Prague City Court will still formally reopen the case, legal experts say its maneuvering space has narrowed considerably. In actual fact, it will be left to rule on the sentences. Babiš claims the court’s verdict was politically motivated.

Coalition leaders are calling on opposition ANO chief Andrej Babiš not to run in October’s general elections and quit politics.