SPD and Motorists would reject lifting immunity of Babiš and Okamura

The SPD and Motorists parties, both part of the governing coalition dominated by ANO, will not vote in the Chamber of Deputies to lift the parliamentary immunity of Prime Minister Andrej Babiš (ANO) or Speaker of the Lower House Tomio Okamura (SPD). Okamura and Minister for Sports Boris Šťastný (Motorists) said this on Prima TV.

Babiš has previously said he will not consent to prosecution in the long-running Čapí hnízdo (Stork Nest) case, in which he was charged in 2017 over alleged subsidy fraud and damage to the EU’s financial interests. Minister for Industry Karel Havlíček (ANO) described the case as politicised and excessively protracted.

Okamura, facing possible prosecution over pre-election posters police say may have incited hatred, said SPD would never support lifting immunity over “verbal opinions”. The party will also not back Babiš’s prosecution, he added, citing opposition to lengthy court proceedings.

Opposition figures disagree, arguing that both men should defend themselves in court. This view was voiced on Prima TV by Marek Výborný (KDU-ČSL), Michaela Šebelová (STAN) and Olga Richterová (Pirate Party).