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Zeman to challenge Lex Babiš in court

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Prague, Feb 1 (CTK) – Czech President Milos Zeman will file a constitutional complaint against a fresh amendment to the law on conflict of interest in February, his spokesman Jiri Ovcacek told a press conference on Wednesday.

The amendment prevents firms owned by government members from seeking public contracts, subsidies and incentives and it bans government members from operating TV and radio stations and publishing the periodical press.

It is dubbed Lex Babis as it will restrict the business activities of Finance Minister Andrej Babis (ANO), a billionaire and owner of the giant Agrofert holding.

Ovcacek said lawyers of the Presidential Office are dealing with the last details of the complaint.

Zeman has been very close to Babis in the recent months. He vetoed the law before Christmas, arguing that it goes against the Czech constitution and international treaties. In January, parliament overrode Zeman’s veto.

News server Echo24 recently challenged the origin of Babis’s property, claiming that his incomes were not sufficient to cover a purchase of bonds worth 1.5 billion crowns in 2013. Babis dismissed this and said his total income was about 2.5. billion crowns at the time.

On Tuesday, Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka (CSSD) called on Babis to explain his property situation. In reaction, Babis said he will order two audits of his property and release the result.

Zeman told Czech Television (CT) that the property of not only Babis but other top politicians should be subject to audits.

“There are politicians who could have enriched themselves in various sales of state-run firms and various dubious transactions in the past several years,” Zeman said.

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