Czech lawmakers lift immunity of former PM Babis over fraud

PRAGUE (AP) — Lawmakers in the lower house of the Czech Parliament have agreed to lift former Prime Minister Andrej Babis’ immunity from prosecution in a fraud case involving European Union subsidies. The approval given on Thursday allows prosecutors to decide whether Babis should be indicted for his alleged involvement in the $2-million fraud. It wasn’t immediately clear when prosecutors would complete their review. Babis, a populist billionaire, denies any wrongdoing. The allegations involve a farm that received EU subsidies after its ownership was transferred from the Babis-owned Agrofert conglomerate to his family members. Agrofert wouldn’t have been eligible for the subsidies and later retook ownership of the farm.