The Austrian Public Prosecutor’s Office for Economic Crimes and Corruption (WKStA) has launched an investigation against Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz on suspicion that he made “false allegations” at a parliamentary committee hearing – Writes A Financial Times. The case was made public by Curtis himself before the cabinet meeting, adding that his chief of staff, Bernard Bonnelli, was also involved. WKStA has not commented on the advertisement. The counselor indicated that he would not give up even if the investigation revealed that he was lying, because in fact he had just listened a little.
The parliamentary commission of inquiry is still investigating a scandal called the Ibiza Gate, which led to the downfall of the former Curtis government two years ago. Heinz Christian Strache, then the leader of the Austrian Freedom Party in the ruling coalition and who was deputy prime minister, was forced to resign after publishing a secret video about negotiating with a woman who betrayed herself as a Russian billionaire, who promised to make government concessions in exchange for using your money to help increase the media influence of your party. .
However, the commission’s investigations did not stop here, but covered a number of additional cases that entered the press as bribery scandals, abuses of power and shook the nerves of Austrian public opinion in recent months. Kurtz is accused of lying about appointing his political ally, Thomas Schmid, to head the Austrian Public Investment Fund (ÖBAG). He and Bonelli told the commission that they were not directly involved in the hiring, but text messages in the hands of the plaintiffs revealed that they were largely involved.
Anyone who lies at a hearing before a special parliamentary commission of inquiry can be sentenced to three years in prison under Austrian law. According to Counselor Environment, WKStA is pursuing a purely political action against Curtis. The same counsel objected to the organization’s work when he ordered a home search in the apartment of Finance Minister Gernot Blumel in February. Blumel is also an ally of Curtis. The government later announced its intention to initiate constitutional changes that would dissolve the WKStA and replace it with a federal attorney general independent of the Department of Justice.
