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In the process surrounding the irregularities in the second round of the German presidential election, eight of the ten defendants pleaded guilty on Thursday. The mayor of Villach, Günther Albel (SPÖ), also announced a confession
Two years ago, the Constitutional Court annulled the presidential election for violation of the electoral law. For the first national test in Klagenfurt, two days are planned for the moment. For months, the Office of the Prosecutor for the Economy and Corruption investigated violations of the electoral law in the counting of postal ballots in various communities. The mayor of Villach and eight co-defendants from the district's electoral authority are accused of false certification and certification in the office. The process in Klagenfurt is the first procedure in the Causa "Federal Presidential Sting" – more on that in the runoff of BP: First trial in Carinthia
APA / Eggenberger
Great interest of media at the beginning of the trial – the mayor of Villach Günther Albel (SPÖ) (2nd from the left) and other defendants
On Thursday, eight of the ten defendants pleaded guilty. The defender of the two members of the FPÖ District Electoral Authority said that his clients would not plead guilty. Because the responsibility of the defendants is not uniform, they are questioned Thursday. Mayor Albel (SPÖ) was the first to be questioned by the single judge Christian Liebhauser-Karl, who had already announced a confession before the trial
The electoral meeting never took place
All accused were present at the federal presidential election on May 22. May 2016 Members of the Electoral Commission. But unlike the law, they were not included in the count of the electoral cards but just signed the minutes. This was confirmed by signing at a meeting of the district electoral authority, which never took place. In fact, the electoral cards were counted by the tenth accused – the head of the reporting division at the municipality of Villach – and his staff. The Wahlungskkurverts are not as expected as Monday, but were opened before the election deadline.
APA / Eggenberger
Mayor Albel
The mayor of Villach admits errors
The head of the electoral authority must respond to judge Christian Liebhauser-Karl for the falsification of the evidence, the imposition of charges and the false testimony that he made before the police and the Constitutional Court. The mayor of Villach Günther Albel admitted even during his interrogation before the Constitutional Court errors in the counting of electoral cards.
APA / Eggenberger
Albel (left) with lawyer Meinhard Novak
Albel and co-defendants seek diversion
L & # 39; lawyer Meinhard Novak seeks to diversify its customers. Formal errors, such as those that occurred during the counting of electoral cards, would be a typical example. Novak reports similar cases: the former Transport Minister Hubert Gorbach had escaped in the telecom business with a diversion, as well as the bosses of several Austrian banks in the Lombard affair in the 1990s, to the detriment of customers. If he is found guilty of false certification, the penalty is three years in prison. The trial under the presidency of the individual judge Christian Liebhauser-Karl will continue Friday
FPÖ joins the procedure
The FPÖ and the Minister of Infrastructure Norbert Hofer join the regional court of Klagenfurt, during the German presidential elections by Alexander Van der Bellen. They are represented by Dieter Böhmdorfer
The Office of the Prosecutor for the Economy and Corruption first investigated 20 election authorities and 250 suspects. Five proceedings, including those against the electoral authority in Klagenfurt, were dropped. Currently, project reports are available for evaluation at the Vienna Office of the Prosecutor.
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