for-phone-onlyfor-tablet-portrait-upfor-tablet-landscape-upfor-desktop-upfor-wide-desktop-up

Czech PM Babis to ask lawmakers to lift his parliamentary immunity

FILE PHOTO: Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis attends a parliamentary session during a confidence vote for the newly appointed government he leads, in Prague, Czech Republic January 10, 2018. REUTERS/David W Cerny

PRAGUE (Reuters) - Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis said on Tuesday he would ask lawmakers lift his parliamentary immunity to face allegations of EU subsidy fraud.

Police are investigating whether he illegally received a 2 million euro EU subsidy a decade ago by hiding ownership of a farm and conference center. Babis denies wrongdoing.

Babis was speaking before a parliamentary committee meets on Tuesday to make a recommendation on whether to lift Babis’s immunity from prosecution that he is granted as an elected member of the chamber.

Reporting by Jason Hovet; Editing by Nick Macfie

for-phone-onlyfor-tablet-portrait-upfor-tablet-landscape-upfor-desktop-upfor-wide-desktop-up