The Czech Ministry of Health (MOH) purchased CZK 5.4 million of respirators from a real estate firm whose owner was Andrej Babis’ biggest fundraiser in 2017, Denik N reports.
The Ostrava based real estate services firm Reality World was founded in 2008 by Jakub Koudela. The company’s most recent available financial results were from 2017 when it posted a profit of CZK 44,000. That same year, the owner Jakub Koudela donated CZK 650,000 to Babis’ ANO party, making him the party’s top individual contributor.
The MOH ordered two million Chinese made FFP2 respirators from Reality World. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the company was unable to fulfill the entire order. In the end, Koudela was only able to deliver 60,000 of the face masks.
Mr. Koudela and Health Minister Adam Vojtech (ANO) both deny any connection between Koudela’s financial support of the ANO party and the respirator contract.
Mr. Koudela claims his company’s real estate activities have been marginal since 2011. And his business is primarily focused on international trade now.