Czech Republic's Prime Minister Andrej Babis attends a parliament session in Prague, Czech Republic, Friday, Jan. 19, 2018. Lawmakers in the lower house of Parliament have agreed to lift the immunity from prosecution for billionaire Andrej Babis over an alleged fraud involving EU subsidies.
Czech Republic's Prime Minister Andrej Babis attends a parliament session in Prague, Czech Republic, Friday, Jan. 19, 2018. Lawmakers in the lower house of Parliament have agreed to lift the immunity from prosecution for billionaire Andrej Babis over an alleged fraud involving EU subsidies. Petr David Josek AP Photo
Czech Republic's Prime Minister Andrej Babis attends a parliament session in Prague, Czech Republic, Friday, Jan. 19, 2018. Lawmakers in the lower house of Parliament have agreed to lift the immunity from prosecution for billionaire Andrej Babis over an alleged fraud involving EU subsidies. Petr David Josek AP Photo

National Business

Czech lawmakers lift immunity of PM Babis over fraud claims

The Associated Press

January 19, 2018 05:11 AM

PRAGUE

Lawmakers in the lower house of the Czech parliament have agreed to lift the immunity from prosecution for Prime Minister Andrej Babis over alleged fraud involving EU subsidies.

Friday's 111-69 vote allows police to complete their investigation into Babis.

The case involves a farm that received an EU subsidy after its ownership was transferred from a conglomerate of some 250 companies that belonged to Babis to Babis' family members. The EU farm subsidy was meant for medium and small businesses.

Babis has been charged but denies wrongdoing.

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Because of the charges, no party has been willing to form a coalition government with Babis after his ANO (YES) centrist movement won October's parliamentary election.

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