Prague Court Reopens "Stork's Nest" Case: Nagyová's Fate Hangs in the Balance

On Monday, the High Court in Prague resumed hearings in the high-profile "Stork's Nest" subsidy fraud case — more than a year after the previous session. This time, however, Prime Minister Andrej Babiš (ANO) will not be in the dock: he is shielded by parliamentary immunity from the charge of aiding and abetting fraud.

As a result, the panel of judges, chaired by Eva Brázdilová, is deciding the sentence only for ANO Member of the European Parliament Jana Nagyová — unlike Babiš, she was referred for criminal prosecution.

Suspended Sentence and a 500,000-Crown Fine

Previously, the Prague Municipal Court convicted Nagyová of subsidy fraud and handed her a suspended sentence along with a fine of 500,000 crowns. She, however, disagrees with the verdict. At the same time, since state prosecutor Jaroslav Šaroch did not file an appeal, the High Court has no legal grounds to increase Nagyová's punishment.

Overturning the Verdict Seen as Unlikely

Observers believe the appellate court will most likely uphold the original ruling. Municipal court judge Jan Šott had effectively issued his decision following instructions from the higher court. As he himself noted in the ruling, his personal view is that no criminal offense was committed in this case at all.

Nevertheless, the Prague High Court, acting as the appellate body, found that both Nagyová and Babiš took concrete steps to secure a 50-million-crown subsidy for the company "Farma Čapí hnízdo," even though it was not entitled to it. The court also stressed that the very idea of building the "Stork's Nest" complex undoubtedly belonged to Babiš himself.

Source: seznamzpravy.cz