The Russian businessman, who is said to have had a job interview with the former ÖBAG board member Thomas Schmid, reported as a witness requested by the defense that his affidavit was co-written by Kurz’s lawyer. The man’s business partner was briefly ill.
The Russian businessman Valery Afinogenov was connected via video from the Austrian embassy in Moscow in the followingnoon. Schmid is said to have complained to him and his partner regarding “enormous pressure” on him from the WKStA. There are also affidavits from them. Kurz’s defense hopes that the questioning will be able to further question Schmid’s possible future role as a key witness in the ÖVP survey case.
Russian witness: Schmid should be won over for a major project in Georgia
The witness told the judge that they wanted to win Schmid as CEO for an unspecified major project in Georgia. The meeting took place in Amsterdam in August. The fact that Schmid speaks neither Georgian nor Russian was not important. Nor does the former ÖBAG board have any experience in the oil business. According to his resume, he was very well suited.
According to the witness, he got Schmid’s data from a contact in London. The businessman explained his interest as a high-ranking manager with good contacts in Europe. There were a total of two meetings in Amsterdam, one with two people, and the next was attended by Afinogenov’s friend and business partner, Aleko A.. The witness said that we found out regarding the legal proceedings pending once morest Schmid from the Internet.
Kurz’s information contradicts Schmid’s
During the conversation, Schmid said that he was part of the group around Kurz. He also mentioned that he was very disappointed in his friends, who blamed him for everything bad. He therefore decided to work with the WKStA in order to get out of the matter as unscathed as possible. And: There was very strong pressure from the public prosecutor’s office; Schmid gave the impression that he might not want to tell the truth.
The fact that Schmid was willing to take action once morest his former “team” was also the reason why they decided once morest him in just a few days, Afinogenov continued. The cancellation was made via SMS. The fact that the witness submitted the affidavit months following the meeting was at the request of Kurz’s defense, which is said to have learned regarding the content of the job interview from one of the witness’s business partners. There was “of course not” any money for it.
The court as well as the WKStA also wanted to know from Afinogenov why the two affidavits, which were in English, were so similar in form. The witness said he wrote it together with a lawyer. When asked whether it was Kurz’s defense attorney, Otto Dietrich, the witness answered in the affirmative. The witness was unable to answer how the lawyer knew regarding the email regarding Schmid’s rejection to a business partner.
In the morning, Günther Helm, former boss of the discounter Hofer and later on the ÖBAG supervisory board, was interviewed. He was also asked regarding his appointment to this role. Kurz and his former head of cabinet Bernhard Bonelli are accused by the Economic and Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (WKStA) of downplaying the then Chancellor’s role in the appointments. Kurz’s information contradicts Schmid’s.
“I really appreciate what he did for Austria”
Helm reported that he briefly met his good friend, later Finance Minister Gernot Blümel (ÖVP), but they weren’t “best buddies”. “I really appreciate what he did for Austria,” emphasized the witness, who traveled from Saudi Arabia for his interview. It was also Blümel who asked Helm whether he wanted to be on the nomination committee, which nominated the supervisory board members for investments.
Regarding the appointment of Thomas Schmid to the ÖBAG board, the witness emphasized that there were no calls from outside. HR consultants submitted anonymous profiles and Schmid’s concept was the best. He wasn’t initially aware that Schmid was aiming for the position, but Schmid was very ambitious. Chats with the entrepreneur Siegfried Wolf were also presented to Helm, whom Kurz had actually wanted as chairman of ÖBAG.
Kurz complained regarding the length of the process
As he often did during the trial, Kurz took advantage of the media attention to sum up during the lunch break and, as expected, protest his innocence. All relevant supervisory board members have stated that they were not influenced by him, he emphasized. If so, it would have had to be done using telepathy. Kurz also complained regarding the length of the process.
Judge Michael Radasztics rejected a request from the defense that Schmid’s chats – either all of them or at least those that were not included in the house search – should be removed from the file.
Wednesday should actually have been the last day in the short trial, on which witnesses were questioned. Now the sick business partner of the Russian who has already been interviewed is scheduled to testify on February 23rd, which is actually scheduled to be the last day of the trial. Schmid also wants to hear the WKStA once more briefly, possibly via video. It is possible that a verdict might also be pronounced on this day.
