Jihlava, South Moravia, Oct 12 (CTK) – The Czech police have also charged Jihlava Deputy Mayor Jana Mayerova (ANO) in the case of a 50-million-crown subsidy for the Capi hnizdo (Stork Nest) company, in which government ANO chairman Andrej Babis is accused, Mlada fronta Dnes (MfD) daily wrote on Thursday.
Mayerova has confirmed this.
“According to the information from my lawyer, I am also charged in the case,” Mayerova told MfD.
She signed the application for the dubious subsidy.
Babis and his deputy Jaroslav Faltynek, who is the leader of ANO’s list of candidates for the Vysocina Region in the upcoming parliamentary election, have already been charged in the affair.
Mayerova is number ten on the ANO’s list of candidates in Vysocina.
Josef Kott, chairman of Vysocina Region ANO branch, told CTK on Monday that he was not expecting any changes to the list of candidates on account of the case.
In late 2007, the “Farma Capi hnizdo” company, whose name was ZZN AGRO Pelhrimov, was a part of Agrofert, a giant chemical, agricultural and food-processing holding owned by billionaire, food and media mogul Babis. In December 2007, the firm’s ownership status changed to bearer share ownership, the ZZN Pelhrimov being its only shareholder. The police say there was no economic or business reason for this change.
The new status made the new owner hard to identify. Then the company won a 50-million-crown EU subsidy designed for small firms, which it could never get as part of Agrofert. A few years later, it rejoined Agrofert.
In Jihlava, ANO is in coalition with the Social Democrats (CSSD) and the Christian Democrats (KDU-CSL). According to MfD, Mayerova enjoys support of these parties to continue in her post until a court’s verdict takes effect.
