The Vienna Regional Court sentenced former Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz to eight months of suspended imprisonment. He was found guilty of making false statements to a parliamentary committee that was investigating the corruption case known as Ibizagate. Heute reports.
The charges relate to appointments to the supervisory board of the state investment holding ÖBAG.
Life.Ru, 02/23/2024, “I screwed up on a small detail: Former Austrian Chancellor Kurz received a suspended sentence for one SMS”: Kurz committed false testimony in 2020 when he stated that he was allegedly not involved in the appointment of his trustee Thomas Schmidt to the board of directors of the investment company ÖBAG. However, the ex-chancellor “messed up” with a single SMS, in which he promised to give his colleague “everything he wants.” — Insert K.ru
Kurz’s ex-chief of cabinet Bernhard Bonelli was also found guilty of giving false testimony and received a suspended six-month prison sentence. The probationary period for both will be three years. The ex-chancellor was acquitted of some of the charges.
Kurz said he intends to appeal the verdict, which he called “very unfair.” quoted by OE24. “I was acquitted of two of the three charges,” he said. “I am very optimistic that in the second instance we will be right,” the former head of government added.
The scandal, which became known as “Ibizagate”, led to the resignation of the country’s vice-chancellor Heinz-Christian Strache in May 2019. It began after Suddeutsche Zeitung and Spiegel published a video recording in which Strache, while in a villa in Ibiza, talks with a woman who introduced herself as the niece of a Russian oligarch and called herself Alena Makarova. According to the recording, the discussion was about the possibility of some Russians sponsoring Strache’s election campaign in exchange for government orders and the purchase of the Austrian Kronen Zeitung newspaper. The woman turned out to be a student from Montenegro with no connection to Russia (*aggressor country).
Kurz took over as chancellor in December 2017, becoming the youngest head of government in Europe: at that time he was 31 years old. In May 2019, the government was rendered vote of no confidence due to Ibizagate, Kurz resigned. However, following the results of early parliamentary elections, he returned to his position.
In October 2021, the chancellor announced his resignation again following allegations of corruption. Kurz and his circle were suspected of bribing the Austrian newspaper Österreich in exchange for posting positive publications there. He denied the accusations.
RBC news agency, 10/09/2021, “The Chancellor of Austria resigned amid allegations of corruption”: As they wrote Die Presse And Kurier, people around the chancellor were suspected of bribing the newspaper Österreich so that it would publish polls with positive reviews about the Austrian People’s Party. According to investigators, the abuses occurred from 2016 to 2018. The country’s Ministry of Finance used budget funds to finance advertisements in the publication in exchange for placing materials there. […]
Kurz supported the Russian Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, noting that it meets Austria’s economic interests. He called for liberation Alexei Navalny and asked not to connect the project with the situation around the oppositionist. The politician also advocated for accelerated registration of the Russian coronavirus vaccine Sputnik V in Europe. — Insert K.ru
RBC news agency, 12/31/2021, “Former Austrian Chancellor Kurz will work in the company of a Trump adviser”: Former Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz will become a global strategist at the investment firm Thiel Capital, founded by an American businessman Peter Thiel. This is what he’s talking about reported to OE24 TV channel. According to the channel, experts estimate Kurz’s future annual income at €500 thousand – this is approximately €190 thousand per year more than he earned as chancellor. Bloomberg with reference to a source close to the company, he writes that the ex-chancellor will advise the company on the topic of the European Union and Austrian politics. […]
Peter Thiel is an American billionaire of German origin, one of the founders of PayPal, and a venture investor. Thiel was among the donors to the former US President’s election campaign Donald Trump and subsequently served as his advisor. — Insert K.ru
