Prague, Sept 14 (CTK) – President Milos Zeman is still ready to appoint the winner of the October general election as the prime minister, including Andrej Babis (ANO) who was released for prosecution by the Chamber of Deputies earlier this month, Babis told journalists after meeting Zeman on Thursday.
Babis said he was not about to make any election alliance with Zeman who would seek re-election next January.
Babis said they had also discussed his work when he was the finance minister and the case of the financing of the resort Capi hnizdo (Stork Nest) owned by his concern.
The lower house released Babis for prosecution upon a police request over what may be a fraudulent use of EU subsidies.
Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka (Social Democrats, CSSD) sacked Babis in May due to his tax problems.
“I have informed Zeman about the case. I am convinced that this is an expedient case that is to influence the election to the Chamber of Deputies,” Babis said, repeating that he was innocent.
Zeman told Barrandov TV station that he talked about the api hnizdo case with Justice Minister Robert Pelikan (ANO) since he was interested in his opinion on it.
Zeman said in the TV interview that he would meet Interior Minister Milan Chovanec (CSSD) after he returns from New York next week. He said he wants to talk about the Capi hnizdo case with him, too.
In 2008, the Capi hnizdo firm was a part of Agrofert, a giant chemical, agricultural and food-processing holding owned by billionaire, food and media mogul Babis. Afterwards, the firm’s owner changed through a chain of transactions that made the new owner hard to identify. Then it 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.
Babis transferred the Agrofert concern, including some media outlets, to trust funds in February to comply with an amended conflict of interest law.
The police asked for the release of Babis and Jaroslav Faltynek (another deputy for ANO and a former Agrofert CEO) for criminal prosecution.
Zeman has repeatedly defended Babis. After the police request was announced, Zeman’s spokesman Jiri Ovcacek said Zeman would still name the election winner as the prime minister.
According to the latest polls, ANO is likely to win the general election with a wide margin.
Zeman said on August 24 that the police request may have been motivated by the effort to abuse the police for political purposes.
He called the request a police provocation and a cheat on voters.
Zeman said the person behind the timing of the request for the release of Babis and his close aide Faltynek for prosecution is probably a “lower-ranking police officer…a too obedient and zealous civil servant.”
