Prague, June 6 (CTK) – The Chamber of Deputies, the lower house of Czech parliament, should release MPs Jaroslav Borka (Communists, KSCM) and Josef Novotny (Social Democrats, CSSD) for criminal prosecution, its mandate and immunity committee recommended today, according to CTK sources.
The police want to accuse both MPs in the case of an extensive misuse of EU subsidies within the Regional Operational Programme (ROP) Northwest.
The Chamber of Deputies is supposed to decide on their release at its plenary session today.
Borka and Novotny are suspected of harming the EU’s financial interests and bargaining an advantage in a public tender. One of them is also suspected of abuse of power and participation in an organised criminal group.
Novotny called the case fabricated and expedient.
Borka said he did not view the case as political and that it must be investigated.
However, neither Novotny nor Borka will tell the lower house whether it should release them for prosecution or not. They say they will leave the decision up to the plenary session.
The ROP Northwest deals with European subsidies in the Usti and Karlovy Vary regions.
Twenty-four people, including regional politicians, senior officials and businesspeople, are accused in this case.
Several people were convicted of manipulating the distribution of EU subsidies in the ROP in the past years.
During this election term, the Chamber of Deputies has decided on five MPs whose release for prosecution the police sought. It rejected the police request in one case only.
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