Babis 'definitely' has conflict of interest – EC report

Several Czech MEPs said yesterday that the conclusions of a European Commission report confirm Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis's indeed has a conflict of interest, EC representatives told EP committee members yesterday.

The Czech version of the report is to be sent from Brussels to Prague in January.

Reports from EC auditors asserting the preliminary conclusions regarding the conflict of interest after the European Commission submitted its initial report with Czech authorities, has appeared in the media before.

Babis has denied the allegations. The Regional Development Ministry has been trying to convince the EC that he has resolved his conflict by transferring his Agrofert holdings to trust funds.

The information was confirmed by another MEP who took part in yesterday's closed hearing of the committee.

The EC also said that it would not pay any subsidies to the firms associated with Agrofert since summer 2018, when stricter EU rules for conflict of interests for government officials came into effect, Zdechovsky said.

Back in May, the EP controlling committee passed an unbinding recommendation asking Babis to either to step down from the government or to stop receiving money from the EU budget through the companies connected with Agrofert, if his conflict of interest is proven.

However, the auditors argue that Babis continues to control Agrofert. Reacting to the EC report, Babis told journalists yesterday he was not and could not be in conflict of interest and does not control or manage Agrofert holdings.

"This is why I have continually repeated that I do not have, nor could I have any conflict of interest," Babis said.

Several MEPs said today EC representatives told the controlling committee that the conclusions of the audit had confirmed Babis's conflict of interest.

The Czech translation of the final version of the report relating to the subsidies from structural funds for Agrofert is to be sent by Brussels to the Czech Republic in January.