The trial once morest ex-Chancellor Sebastian Kurz (VP) and his former head of cabinet Bernhard Bonelli for making false statements in the Ibiza-U Committee continues today. Öbag supervisory board member Iris Ortner has been invited as a witness and will be questioned regarding her perceptions of positions in the state holding company. She is the daughter of the industrialist Klaus Ortner, a major donor to the ÖVP.
Klaus Ortner is the main shareholder of IGO Industries. The Tyrolean was the ÖVP’s largest individual donor in the 2017 election year. The various companies in the group transferred around one million euros to the ÖVP. A denomination prevented immediate publication on the Court of Auditors’ homepage. There were no investigations by the Economic and Corruption Public Prosecutor’s Office (WKStA) due to a loophole in the law. Because “feeding” through correctly processed party donations is not a criminal offense – even if the party subsequently reciprocates, it was said in the WKStA’s reasons for the discontinuation at the time. This suspicion was suspected in an advertisement following Iris Ortner joined the Öbag supervisory board. She is managing director of the IGO Group.
“Professional suitability established”
A spokeswoman for Ortner confirmed that the witness would appear in court today and testify regarding her perceptions. It was also emphasized that Ortner’s professional suitability as an Öbag supervisory board member had also been determined by the WKStA in its employment decision. Klaus Ortner also angrily rejected the accusation in the 2020 Ibiza U Committee: “My family doesn’t need that, I would be embarrassed,” he said at the time.
On January 25th, former finance minister Gernot Blümel (VP) is expected to testify in the Vienna regional court. On January 30th, Öbag supervisory board chairman Helmut Kern, Bernd Brünner, former secretary general in the Federal Chancellery, and Öbag supervisory board member Susanne Höllinger are scheduled to take the witness stand. On January 31st, Günther Helm, former boss of the Hofer discounter and later on the Öbag supervisory board, will follow.
Kurz and Bonelli are accused of having given false evidence as informants before the U-Committee, particularly in connection with the establishment of Öbag and the composition of the board of directors and supervisory board of this company. The defendants deny this.
