Babiš, Under Investigation in France, Sells His €22.5 Million Chateau

3 comments

1. like something is gonna happen to a high level politician…

2. What a stupid article TBH. I don’t understand the purpose of this article. He’s a millionaire, he can do whatever he can with his own property. Article in the style of “OmG shOcKing, he used to be on a vacation in HIS property, OmG”

3. >**In 2021, Andrej Babiš lost the Czech elections after the “Pandora Papers” investigation revealed his secret French real estate holdings, bought through offshore companies with funds of unknown origin. Amidst a probe by French authorities, Chateau Bigaud is now listed for sale at €22.5 million.**

   >In 2009, Andrej Babiš acquired properties on the French Riviera. He purchased Chateau Bigaud, featuring five bedrooms, fourteen bathrooms, a home movie theater, three fireplaces, and a sauna, for €15 million (nearly 400 million CZK at the time) through several anonymous offshore companies. He has never convincingly explained the source of the funds used for the purchase, nor has he clarified why he failed to include this property in his annual asset declarations required upon entering politics, where he otherwise provides a detailed overview of his financial situation. 

   >His secret real estate purchase using shell companies was particularly striking because, in 2011, Andrej Babiš founded his party, ANO 2011, to “fight corruption and other ills in the country’s political system.” Babiš ran on an anti-corruption platform, entered the Czech parliament in 2013, and eventually became Prime Minister of the Czech Republic in 2017. However, when [investigace.cz revealed](https://www.investigace.cz/pandora-papers-v-hlavni-roli-andrej-babis/) his French assets in 2021 as part of the Pandora Papers investigation ([read the English version here](https://www.occrp.org/en/the-pandora-papers/anti-graft-czech-prime-minister-used-offshores-to-disguise-funds-for-french-chateau)), Babiš subsequently lost his bid for re-election. Furthermore, following the Pandora Papers revelations, the French prosecutor’s office [began investigating Babiš](https://www.icij.org/investigations/pandora-papers/former-czech-pm-babis-is-under-investigation-for-alleged-money-laundering-over-deal-exposed-by-the-pandora-papers/) regarding this transaction in 2022. 

   >Today, however, Chateau Bigaud is listed for sale at €22.5 million. This is also the first time that we can take a detailed look at how the Babiš property looks from the inside.

   >According to a [discreet listing](https://www.sothebysrealty.com/eng/sales/detail/180-l-697-xvh337/property-mougins-pr-06250) that does not reveal the address, the Sotheby’s real estate agency, which specializes in luxury properties, describes the real estate surrounded by approximately 5.5 hectares of land as follows:

   >“The property offers an exceptional setting, quality features, and noble and elegant materials. From the pool, you can enjoy an impressive and stunning sea view in absolute tranquility. Shaded courtyards, furnished terraces, and landscaped parks allow you to enjoy the most beautiful views of the Côte d’Azur, just steps from amenities, a prestigious international school, two prestigious golf courses, Cannes and its waterfront, and the highway to Nice just minutes away.