Prague, Feb 9 (CTK) – Czech Finance Minister Andrej Babis (ANO) has sent a complaint about reportages focused on his purchase of bonds in the 168 Hours and CT Reporters programmes to the Czech Television Council, saying the authors breached the CT code, Forum 24 online daily and Echo24 server wrote yesterday.
Deputy Prime Minister Babis, who heads the ANO movement, wrote that the public television’s reportages were not objective and balanced.
He wrote that CT aimed at intentional manipulation of the public opinion.
“The way used in cutting the reportages and the order of appearances of selected actors justify the suspicion that the reportages had a political subtext and that their major purpose was to disparage and scandalise my person to the detriment of the information value and the provision of unbiased information to the public about current affairs,” Babis wrote in his complaint.
Babis first wanted the CT Council to say the reportages about him breached the CT Code and that the editors breached their duties at work, and to take corresponding measures against them.
Five days later, he “only” asked the council to say the editors breached discipline at work, Novinky.cz server wrote.
Babis’s spokeswoman Lucie Kubovicova explained this saying Babis does not want to have anyone dismissed.
Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka (Social Democrats, CSSD) criticised Babis for calling for punishment of journalists “who dared to ask unpleasant questions.”
“Fortunately, CT is not part of Agrofert, they would have already been fired,” Sobotka tweeted.
Billionaire Babis, 62, is the owner of the Agrofert holding that associates more than 250 firms active in agriculture, chemical, food-processing and wood-processing industries, transport, biofuels and media.
One week ago, Babis placed Agrofert in a trust fund to comply with an amendment to the law on conflict of interest which has taken effect yesterday.
The amendment prevents firms owned by government members from seeking public contracts, discretionary subsidies and incentives among others. The transfer also concerned the Mafra media house.
CT previously called on Babis to prove his claims that the authors of the reportages are corrupt vermin and manipulated. In the opposite case, he should apologise to them.
The doubts about his assets were carried by Echo24 server. It wrote that Babis bought Agrofert bonds for 1.482 billion crowns in 2013. He became minister in early 2014.
Babis told the server that his net incomes amounted to 1.526 billion crowns by 2015. However, Echo24 calculated that Babis earned 1.11 billion crowns by 2013, which would not be enough to buy the bonds. The server based its calculations on the property statements politicians send to the Chamber of Deputies.
Babis reacted saying that in addition to the taxable incomes he stated before, he also gained 650 million crowns from the sales of firms, shares and former business, which were not taxable, and that he therefore had money to buy the bonds.
A complaint has been filed against Babis over the purchase of the bonds. However, he considers it an expedient move and rejects any criticism. He says it is part of the political struggle.
Babis’s ANO is a hot favourite of the October general election.
($1=25.333 crowns)
