Prague, May 4 (CTK) – A Czech court on Wednesday started dealing with a legal complaint filed by Moravia-Silesia Regional Governor Miroslav Novak (Social Democrats, CSSD) against Finance Minister Andrej Babis (ANO) because of his abusive words on TV about a project of an industrial zone in Novak’s region.
Novak claims that he and his family face immense pressure due to the “mendacious” statements by Babis about him.
Last year, Babis said in a TV debate on the preparation of the industrial zone in Karvina that this was Novak’s “deal” and “tunnel” (siphoning off assets) and he compared Novak to former CSSD regional governor David Rath who was found guilty of corruption.
In his personality protection complaint, Novak demands an apology and 200,000 crowns in compensation.
Novak appeared in court, while Babis did not come on Wednesday.
“My client is an experienced politician who is used to face criticism, but in this case it has exceeded the admissible level,” Novak’s defence lawyer said.
She added that Babis actually accused her client of criminal activities.
Babis’s lawyer, for his part, said his client did not interfere in Novak’s personality rights.
Babis’s words had a character of a personal assessment and not a statement of facts and this is why their truthfulness need not be proved, he added.
Babis criticised Novak in the Duel debate programme on the commercial TV Prima last September.
“The only difference between Governor Novak and Rath is that Novak was not wiretapped [by the police]. Otherwise he would have fared the same, in my opinion,” Babis said then.
Former Central Bohemia governor, MP and ex-minister Rath was sentenced to 8.5 years in prison and the forfeiture of some 20 million crowns for corruption connected with public orders in his region last summer. He pleads not guilty and appealed the verdict.
As far as the Karvina industrial zone is concerned, Babis disliked the fact that the state should buy plots for its construction from the controversial billionaire Zdenek Bakala.
Babis and his ANO criticised Bakala in connection to the privatisation of the OKD mining company, including thousands of flats for miners, which was approved by the CSSD-led government when current PM and CSSD chairman Bohuslav Sobotka occupied the post of finance minister.
The regional representatives dismissed Babis’s criticism saying there were no other suitable strategic area in the vicinity of Karvina, a town with a high unemployment.
Novak pointed out on Wednesday that Babis, too, voted for the industrial zone at a government meeting last July.
