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Vienna. SPÖ, ÖVP, FPÖ – none of these parts should be neglected. Telekom Austria AG (abbreviated: TA), a partial state-owned company, bought from 2004 to 2008 a political benevolence. Here is how to summarize the basic indictment of the indictment. And with the bitter list of people, partly veiled by bills, referrals began Tuesday, the largest ever process in telecom money. And of course about the illegal financing of parties.
The peculiarity: this procedure of infidelity and money laundering at the old "black fund" of the TA is integrated into the Buwog procedure of the former Minister of Finance Karl-Heinz Grbader and Co. Because the prosecutor in charge of corruption wants these men to be punished: Rudolf Fischer (65), CEO of the ex-TA telephone division, has already been sentenced twice for "Telekom"; Peter Hochegger (69), former lobbyist and founder of the Valora consulting firm; Walter Meischberger (58), former FPÖ politician and former lobbyist; Michael Fischer (the former day of the coup was also his 55th birthday), former director of the ÖVP, then director of public affairs of the AT; K. (65 years old), another former AT employee.
Two men on two fronts
Since two men, Hochegger and Meischberger, have been charged in both the Buwog and Telekom complexes, Judge Marion Hohenecker has proceeded to a procedural merger (the lawyers speak of connectivity). The fact that Grbader and the others do not have to sit on the bench for a while is kind of polite to the judge. But it is quite possible that at the very end (fall of 2019?), There will be a great shared judgment.
How many days of trading remain ahead is open. Until yesterday Tuesday, was negotiated in the procedure Buwog (now more appropriate: Buwog Telekom procedure) over 58 days. Most mornings and afternoons, each about seven hours. If only one defendant had to pay the attorney's fees in accordance with the attorney's fees for the alderman courts, he would already have to scroll through 320,000 euros gross up to the table. Most of the accused therefore negotiated lump sums. Others are represented by public defenders ("legal aid", funded by taxpayers). But let's go back to the "black boxes".
In a kind of double conference, the two chief prosecutors, Gerald Denk and Alexander Marchart, have now criticized the system of corruption (Day 59): the political parties had been served "generously". For example, in 2006, a party donation of € 24,000 was transferred to an "SPÖ-mandated advertising agency". In addition, SPÖ MP Kurt Gartlehner (he was spokesperson for telecommunications) signed a consultancy contract with Hochegger, which gave him 110,000 euros.
"But the ÖVP must not be neglected either," say the accusers. In 2006 and 2007, 250,000 euros were donated to a holiday advertising agency. Money that the ÖVP has meanwhile repaid. Spicy detail: the Sierning football club, which was the former vice-chancellor of the ÖVP, Wilhelm Molterer, received 65 000 euros. Under the direction of Michael Fischer, the ÖVP also paid 96,000 euros. The money has been entrusted to an event marketing agency. Also this money has been returned in the meantime.
Until now, only the hijacking for Gorbach
For example, the FPÖ benefited from Reinhard Gaugg, a former member of the National Council, for receiving 36,000 euros (2005). For a lobbying study – including the TA but according to the indictment was nothing. And the former vice-chancellor Gorbach had received, after his retirement from politics, grants for the financing of his secretary, of 270,000 euros. Gorbach escaped with a diversion – plus 1680 euros fine. Until now, politicians have not been convicted, as the "sham" was not punishable at this time.
In addition: "Hochegger and Meischberger also have money in their pockets." Rudolf Fischer, meanwhile, has to pay a total of 3.6 million euros in damages. Another part of the withdrawn money had already been dealt with in another criminal case, said chief prosecutors. And: "One of them has created an outsourced self-service with the" black boxes "." Meischberger, for example, has already participated in a golf trip to Bilbao, Spain. On the cost of technical badistance. It was a TA golf course project, not for fun, countered Meischberger's lawyer, Jörg Zarbl. His protégé did not plead guilty. Hochegger and Rudolf Fischer confessed in part. Fischer's lawyer, Otto Dietrich, questioned the damage suffered by the TA: "The TA has achieved better results than ever before and after."
Michael Fischer and the fifth man said to be "partially responsible". They also asked for a diversion. Today, Wednesday, will continue to negotiate.
("Die Presse", printed edition, 07.11.2018)
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