Key facts
- Czech MEP Jana Nagyová was found guilty of EU subsidy fraud by Prague's High Court.
- The case involves €2 million related to the Agrofert conglomerate.
- Nagyová received a suspended three-year prison sentence and a five-year probation.
- She was also fined approximately €20,000.
- The court's decision upheld a previous ruling from May.
- Nagyová denies the charges and plans to appeal to the Supreme Court.
Prague's High Court has confirmed the guilt of Czech Member of the European Parliament Jana Nagyová in a €2 million EU subsidy fraud case linked to Agrofert, an agriculture conglomerate associated with Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš. The court sentenced Nagyová to a suspended three-year prison term, a five-year probation period, and a fine of approximately €20,000 for subsidy fraud and damaging the EU's financial interests. This ruling upholds a lower court's decision from May.
Nagyová has consistently denied the accusations and intends to appeal to the Czech Supreme Court. Her parliamentary immunity was revoked by the European Parliament in April.
The investigation, conducted by Czech authorities and the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF), focused on an alleged scheme to separate the Čapí Hnízdo recreational center from Agrofert. The intention was to present it as an independent business to secure EU grants designated for small and medium-sized enterprises, before Agrofert later reclaimed ownership.
Initially, both Nagyová and Babiš were involved in the judicial case. However, the proceedings against Babiš were separated by Prague's municipal court after the Czech parliament declined to lift his immunity in March. Any legal proceedings against the Prime Minister will be suspended for the duration of his term. Babiš has denied any wrongdoing and stated he placed Agrofert into a trust fund upon returning as prime minister in December, asserting no further connection to the conglomerate he founded. Critics, however, question the effectiveness of this new structure in addressing conflicts of interest.