2023-09-26 11:28:33
From October 18th, the former Federal Chancellor and ÖVP chairman Sebastian Kurz will have to answer at the Vienna Regional Criminal Court for false testimony in the Ibiza-U Committee. Co-defendants are ex-ÖVP deputy party leader Bettina Glatz-Kremsner and Kurz’s confidant and former head of cabinet in the Federal Chancellery, Bernhard Bonelli. The negotiation will take much longer than initially expected and will extend at least into November.
As court spokeswoman Christian Salzborn announced on Tuesday in response to an APA request, the three trial dates set so far serve exclusively for the presentation of the accusation by the representatives of the Economic and Corruption Public Prosecutor’s Office (WKStA), the defense’s replies and the interrogations of the three accused. In addition, the WKStA has already requested in its written criminal complaint that no fewer than 18 witnesses be questioned as part of the main hearing. The defense might also request that other people be summoned, who – should the judge consider their involvement necessary – would also have to be examined truthfully.
This means that it is certain that there will be several more days of trial following October 23rd – the last officially confirmed trial date for now. How many and when the witness interviews will start is currently unclear. As court spokeswoman Salzborn explained in this context, the judge will first wait for the results of the interviews with the accused and then decide how many of the witnesses nominated by the WKStA are actually needed.
The WKStA’s list includes, among others, the former ÖVP finance ministers Hartwig Löger and Gernot Blümel as well as ex-vice chancellor and FPÖ leader Heinz-Christian Strache. Also to be questioned are Thomas Schmid, whose appointment as ÖBAG boss is the central issue of the case, Peter Sidlo, whose appointment to the Casinos Austria board was highly controversial, as well as the industrialist Siegfried Wolf and ex-Raiffeisen attorney general Walter Rothensteiner. The latter was also the head of the casino supervisory board.
Kurz and Bonelli are accused by the WKStA 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 and supervisory board of this company. Glatz-Kremsner is said to have knowingly told untruths both before the U-Committee and during her interrogation as a witness in the WKStA’s investigation into the appointment of a board member of Casinos Austria AG. All three defendants deny the allegations once morest them and are presumed innocent. “The allegations are false and we look forward to the truth finally coming to light and the allegations proving to be unfounded in court,” posted on Twitter (X) shortly following the charges were announced.
In any case, public interest in the upcoming negotiation is enormous. The court has already received more than 50 emails from media professionals at home and abroad, all of whom want to get a seat in the large jury room. If demand continues, space availability might become tight.
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