Son of Czech Prime Minister accuses him of abducting him to Russia.
Andrej Babis, the Prime Minister of the Czech Republic, has been accused of authorising the kidnapping of his son Andrej Babis Junior to prevent him from testifying in a fraud investigation. The accuser came from no other than Andrej Babis Junior, his own kidnapped son. TV network Seznam issued a report on November 13 that included a brief interview in which Babis's son, who is also named Andrej, said he was coerced into traveling to Crimea on a vacation that turned into an "abduction." Babis junior said people working for his father had lured him to Crimea and held him there against his will. "They told me you got two options. Either we lock you up in the National institute of mental health or you can go on a holiday. So I chose to go on the 'holiday'. "Once in in Crimea they told me 'Your father and us will do everything to keep you locked up.' " He said he had later contacted the Czech police with the information. Babis Jr. also revealed that he had signed some papers, but had no idea what he was signing.
Babis junior on the video. Click here for the full video (in Czech).
Andrej Babis Jr. is a central figure in an investigation into the alleged misuse of European Union funds at a recreation center that once belonged to Babis, who rejects the case as a fabrication by his rivals. The news caused an uproar on the Czech political scene with the prime minister’s coalition partners demanding an explanation and opposition deputies calling for him to step down and threatening to call a vote of no-confidence in the Babiš government. Babis senior said Tuesday his son wasn’t abducted and that police had already concluded no crime had been committed. He said that his son, who lives in Switzerland with his mother, is being treated for mental illness. It's important to note that Babis's government is currently being propped up by the Czech Communists, and Babis himslef had been a Communist agent and informer in his past, and has long standing connections with prominent figures in Russia.
Andrej Babis, the Prime Minister of the Czech Republic.
Mr Babis is currently facing another criminal investigation over alleged fraud, and is also the subject of an EU conflict-of-interest investigation. He denies the allegations. The Czech Police are currently investigating accusations that Mr Babis hid his ownership of a farm and conference centre known as "Stork Nest" (Capi hnizdo in Czech) so that it could qualify for an EU subsidy designed to help small businesses. A day after police advised that the state prosecutor file charges against him, the minister of justice was changed. This sparked huge protests in the Czech republic, the biggest since the fall of Communism. The opposition argues that the new Minister of Justice, Marie Benesova, is too close to Mr Babis and cannot be trusted to objectivly handle the investigation. (article was updated on 23/6/2019)
