European Parliament lifts immunity of Czech far-right member over allegations of fraud

By Ahmet Gencturk

ATHENS (AA) - The European Parliament (EP) has voted to lift the parliamentary immunity of far-right Czech lawmaker Jana Nagyova, enabling national authorities to proceed with fraud charges against her, Czech media reported Tuesday.

According to state-run Radio Prague, Nagyova is accused alongside former Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis of orchestrating the fraudulent withdrawal of the Stork’s Nest congress center from Babis’ Agrofert business group between 2007 and 2008. The move allegedly made the center appear eligible for a €2 million ($2.16 million) EU subsidy intended for small and medium-sized enterprises.

Nagyova maintains her innocence and pointed to two non-final court rulings that previously cleared her.

The EP also waived immunity for Petr Bystron, a Czech-born German MEP and member of the right-wing Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, in a separate case.

The lifting of parliamentary immunity allows judicial authorities in member states to advance legal proceedings but does not imply guilt, the agency noted.