Senate Commission to discuss Czech PM’s offshore deals revealed in Pandora Papers

A Senate commission is due on Wednesday to discuss findings of the Pandora Papers, the trove of leaked financial documents investigated by hundreds of journalists worldwide.

The focus of their attention is whether Prime Minister Andrej Babiš did anything illegal or unethical in using a convoluted offshore structure and “secret loans” to buy a French mansion for some 15 million euros, back in 2009.

The standing Senate Commission on the Supervision of Public Funds and Analysis of the Financial Analytical Office is expected to hear from the head of the regulatory body, Libor Kazda.

Commission chairman František Vácha told iRozhlas.cz last week that members plan to ask Kazda whether, over the past several years, the office has looked into the prime minister’s offshore transactions

Financial Analytical Office directors are normally prevented from answering such questions due to a rule of confidentiality, but Mr Babiš said he would lift the rule so that the matter can be investigated and his name cleared.

The Pandora Papers are the largest-ever trove of leaked offshore data. The documents were shared by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists with major media around the world.