Czech news in brief for November 29: Saturday's top morning headlines

The French Financial Prosecutor's Office (PNF) is expected to decide at the start of 2026 whether to prosecute Czech ex-PM Andrej Babiš over his 2009 purchase of a villa and land in southern France, Seznam Zprávy reports. The investigation, linked to the Pandora Papers, examines possible money laundering through offshore companies. Babis has denied wrongdoing, calling the deal legal.

Police uncovered more than 80 million Kč in cash at the home of Railway Administration head Jiří Svoboda during a raid linked to contract inquiries, iRozhlas.cz reports. Svoboda said the money came from family savings kept outside banks for decades. Transport Minister Martin Kupka urged him to step aside, and an independent audit of reviewed contracts is now underway.

Ukrainian Deputy Defence Minister Serhiy Boyev met with Czech AMOS director Aleš Vytéčka to discuss artillery ammunition deliveries for Ukraine, the Defence Ministry said. The Czech initiative, in cooperation with the Netherlands and Denmark, aims to provide timely, high-quality munitions. Boyev thanked Czechia for consistent support, emphasizing longer-range rounds, while Czech officials stressed sourcing from domestic, European, and third-country producers.

TOP 09 MP Helena Langšadlová and Karel Beran of the Motorists party will represent the Czech lower house at the December Transatlantic Forum in the United States, focusing on NATO cooperation and security. The trip drew criticism from opposition parties for initially lacking committee approval. Speaker Tomio Okamura defended the delegation, citing the necessity of austerity measures and the event’s relevance to Czech security.

A Pilsen regional court has ordered a new hearing in the case of Zdeněk Holzknecht, who was previously given a suspended sentence for assaulting two Ukrainian women at a 2023 fair in Plasy. Judges said the lower court erred in its assessment after limiting the conviction to disorderly conduct. Prosecutors allege he used slurs and repeatedly hit the women during the incident.