2023-11-21 17:04:03
A few weeks following the death of Christian Pilnacek, a secret tape recording emerged on Tuesday in which the recently suspended justice section chief made allegations once morest the ÖVP. In the conversation, Pilnacek claims to have fended off interventions by the ÖVP in ongoing investigations, mentioning by name the former Interior Minister and current National Council President Wolfgang Sobotka. The ÖVP identified “KGB methods”.
The conversation is said to have been recorded at the end of July during an evening gathering in the pub without Pilnacek’s knowledge. The audio recording, which is available from several media outlets, may have been edited. In addition, excerpts from the recording circulated as a copy. “They demand that I stop investigations. I can’t do that, I won’t do that,” Pilnacek is quoted as saying. “The ÖVP ministers came, even when a house search had already taken place at the ÖVP, they came to me and asked, why don’t I turn it off?” He always said, “I can’t do it, I won’t do it, I don’t want to.”
When he asked for support, the response he heard from the ÖVP was, “You were never with us” and “you never prevented a house search from taking place.” He didn’t influence a single procedure, says Pilnacek. “The ÖVP made this a personal accusation once morest me and said, ‘You are letting your prosecutors work once morest us’.” Pilnacek mentions National Council President Sobotka by name: “In every conversation, Sobotka says, ‘You failed yourself, you never turned it around’. But that’s not possible and I won’t do it. We live in a constitutional state.”
Sobotka never spoke to Pilnacek regarding ongoing proceedings, investigations or freezing orders, a spokesman for the National Council President told the “Standard” (online). “If a person who recently died under tragic circumstances is now to be dragged into the public eye to make political change, then we will not take part in such a disrespectful act,” they further emphasized. The “ruthless instrumentalization of a person who can no longer explain himself today is an absolute low point in the political culture in our country.”
“The election campaign is already casting its shadow,” the ÖVP federal party also responded in a broadcast. “By means of a tape, even the memory of a dead person is now being abused and exploited,” criticized General Secretary Christian Stocker. “Christian Pilnacek died under tragic circumstances just a few weeks ago. I am frankly speechless that his person now has to be used to make political change and to advance the scandalization campaign of the SPÖ and FPÖ.” The background to the tape and “the methods that are reminiscent of the Russian secret service” must be clarified, demanded Stocker. “Who recorded it, what the motive is, who is behind these KGB methods.”
In terms of content, Stocker pointed out that Pilnacek had stated something different in parliamentary investigative committees under the obligation to tell the truth than in the secretly recorded conversation. In 2020, when asked whether anyone had ever approached him regarding keeping an eye on a trial, Pilnacek clearly answered “no”. In 2022, when asked whether there had been specific hindrances to the investigation, Pilnacek replied, “If you ask me regarding specific hindrances: no,” and, “where I was in charge, he had no perceptions of political influences.” .
Meanwhile, NEOS General Secretary Douglas Hoyos suggested that Sobotka resign: “With regard to the people mentioned, we firmly believe that whoever heads the House of Democracy must be above all suspicion.” Pilnacek’s statements suggest a system that is unworthy of a democratic constitutional state, Hoyos said in a broadcast. “We are talking regarding abuse of power, pressure and attempted influence on the independent judiciary, by ‘the ÖVP’ as a whole and especially by the second highest-ranking man in the state. The mere appearance of such a system of abuse of power by the Chancellor’s party is causing serious damage to our democracy. ” It is incidents like these that “destroy people’s trust that everyone is equal before the law.”
Pilnacek died a few weeks ago at the age of 60. The autopsy results are still pending. For many years, the most recently suspended section head of the Ministry of Justice was considered the most powerful man in the Ministry of Justice alongside the respective minister. Under turquoise-blue he was promoted to general secretary. Various allegations, including violations of official secrecy, later led to his suspension and several proceedings. He was acquitted in the only trial that has been completed so far.
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