Agrofert’s holding of former prime minister and ANO member of parliament Andrej Babiš lost the first court case related to advertising in Capí hnízda.
The parent company of the concern filed a lawsuit in Prague Municipal Court against the tax assessment by the Appellate Finance Directorate. But in court, as Seznam Zpravy found out, Agrofert lost. “The case has been dismissed,” confirmed Stibanka Dygalová, a representative of the Prague Municipal Court.
Because the court’s decision has not yet been written, he declined to say how much Babis’ property has been assessed for taxes. Akrofert did not comment on the ruling. “We do not comment on ongoing proceedings,” said Pavel Hermansky, a spokesman for Agrofert.
The Appellate Directorate of Finance justified the assessment of tax by saying that a portion of the advertising payments were “not justified”. Translated: Finance officials were skeptical about the expenses officially paid by companies belonging to the holding company for advertising in Hornbill’s Nest – about 272 million kroner.
The Prague Municipal Court’s ruling is not final, and Agrofert can still file a legal complaint against it, which will be handled by the Supreme Administrative Court.
In addition to Agrofert, other companies from this holding also appealed to the courts: Breol, Precesa and Primagra. The reason was that they also disagreed with the decision of the Appellate Finance Directorate to pay a total of over one million crowns as tax. However, the courts are yet to rule on the cases filed by these companies.
The police investigated the case of advertising in Čapí hnízd for more than five years, including criminal status. Investigators dealt with suspicions that the companies under Agrofert had paid Nest Farm an inflated amount for advertising purposes and deliberately reduced tax evasion.
However, they ultimately failed to prove these actions. This is the second time this year that police have reached the same conclusion. That is, no criminal offense has been committed in this case, hence the case was adjourned.
However, the police file was requested by the Supreme Public Prosecutor’s Office a few days ago, which is still investigating whether to order the probe. The police investigation is likely to continue.
Furthermore, Andrej Babiš is still accused of aiding and abetting subsidy fraud in relation to Farma Čapí hnízdo. Although acquitted twice without jurisdiction, the State Attorney is awaiting the decision of the Court of Appeals to which he has appealed.
272 million in construction site advertising
Photo: John Mihalicek, Cesnum Spravy
Babiš’s farm near Benešov.
Farma Čapí bought the nest from Agrofert’s companies between 2010 and 2013. Advertising revenue totaled 272 million crowns. At that time it was created 70 to 90 percent of total sales The lost congress center near Olbramovice in central Bohemia.
In the first year of operation, i.e. in 2010, the income from the Hornbill’s Nest advertisement – which was still incomplete at that time – was 65 million crowns. How he miscalculated at the beginning of the screening Reporter magazine, For example, renting 1,100 billboards for an entire year is sufficient Or paying for two thousand ad spots viewed by a total of 685 million viewers.
Agrofert’s many companies The resort sent advertising money to the Hornbill’s Nest before it officially opened. Some of the companies that paid for Hornbills Nest advertising also disappeared in no time.
Advertising in rural recreation area on a large scale No logical justification. In the first years of operation, the farm mainly served as a center for Agrofert’s corporate events, with verified advertising contracts emerging.
