MEP Nagyová receives a suspended sentence and a CZK 500,000 fine in the Čapí hnízdo case

For subsidy fraud and damaging the financial interests of the EU, the Municipal Court in Prague today sentenced MEP Jana Nagyová (ANO) in the Čapí hnízdo case to a three-year suspended prison sentence with a probation period of five years, along with a financial penalty of CZK 500,000. The verdict is not final and can be appealed to the High Court in Prague. In her closing statement, Nagyová again denied guilt and excused herself from attending the announcement of the verdict.

Prime Minister Andrej Babiš (ANO) considers today’s verdict to be a made-to-order conviction in a political trial. According to him, it is the result of an unlawful procedure by the panel of the High Court in Prague, which he claims distorted the judicial process. Babiš is also charged in the case, but his prosecution is currently suspended because the Chamber of Deputies did not waive his immunity. The municipal court therefore could not rule on his guilt today.

According to the indictment in the Čapí hnízdo case, Babiš arranged at the turn of 2007 and 2008 for the Farma Čapí hnízdo company to be spun off from Agrofert and for its shares to be transferred to his children and partner. Investigators say this was done so that the company would appear to meet the conditions for receiving a CZK 50 million subsidy intended for small and medium-sized enterprises. According to the prosecution, Nagyová submitted the successful subsidy application. Both Babiš and Nagyová have long denied any wrongdoing.