The Černošice Municipal Authority will not suspend the proceedings on the offense against the Conflict of Interest Act, which it is conducting with Prime Minister Andrej Babiš. According to a press release on its website. Babiš filed a lawsuit against the municipal authority for protection against illegal interference, demanding the cessation of misdemeanor proceedings. However, according to an earlier statement by Hana Černá, a spokesman for the Regional Court in Prague, the lawsuit has no suspensive effect and it is up to the defendant to decide whether to continue the proceedings or to await the outcome of the court proceedings. The Černošice office decided not to suspend the proceedings.
"The municipal authority, the Offenses Department, has concluded that it will not suspend the proceedings on the basis of the action brought. Due to precaution (reducing the risk of a complaint or action for maladministration) aside to the Regional Court in Prague, "says on the Office's website.
The Černošice office, which is an office with extended powers for Průhonice, where the prime minister lives, is conducting misdemeanor proceedings against Babiš due to the ownership of the media companies Londa and Mafra. The complaint was filed by Transparency International (TI), according to which the prime minister violates the law by controlling the media. Babiš has long rejected conflicts of interest. It states that, by investing Agrofert in trust funds, it has lost influence over the holding company and all the companies involved.
In a previous similar proceeding, the municipal authority imposed a fine of 200,000 crowns on Babiš in 2019. However, the Central Bohemian Regional Authority, as the appellate body, stopped the proceedings; according to him, the conflict of interests was not proven. In January this year, the TI organization turned to the Černošice office again, stating that it had new evidence in the matter. Černošice, therefore, initiated a new misdemeanor proceeding.