Telekom process: the Schüssel government is against Deal

Telekom process: the Schüssel government is against Deal

VIENNA. Rudolf Fischer, the first accused involved in the Telekom process, wanted to acquire Telekom's state share with a colleague of the council. Earlier today, it was known how the highest political leaders of the ÖVP approached to ask donations to a party.

Rudolf Fischer, former boss of fixed lines Image: APHR / HELMUT FOHRINGER

The Telekom process for partial company payments to ÖVP, SPÖ and FPÖ opened today a new chapter for the public: Telekom's first presumed executive committee, Rudolf Fischer, wanted to acquire with his colleague board of directors at the time, Boris Nemsic, the part relating to the state in Telekom, with The board of directors was among others the bank Meinl.

In the end, however, the then government led by Chancellor Wolfgang Schüssel (ÖVP) opposed the agreement, which should have been well prepared and delivered. We did not want to "sell" the country's jewels before the next National Council elections in 2006, Judge Marion Hohenecker told Fischer. After all, Telekom Austria, with OMV, was probably the most valuable badet of the country at the time.

In any case, the agreement would have become expensive for the republic, because if the state share had fallen below the blocking minority of 25%, Telekom could then have returned the official employees of the republic, said Fischer today at the Straflandgericht Vienna.

No concretization of the concerns without "political management of the landscape"

Tuesday afternoon, it was known that Wilhelm Molterer and Reinhold Lopatka had contacted Fischer to ask for donations at a party. Their wishes had been granted. After all, Mr. Molterer was Vice-Chancellor and Minister of Finance of Telekom Austria.

Judge Marion Hohenecker then wanted to know why it was necessary to please the owner's representative, if it was his job anyway, to represent the state's share in telecommunications. Fischer, at the time, a member of the Telecom Executive Committee, remained like this: The important concerns of the Telekom would not be satisfied without the "concern of the political landscape".

video: Rudolf Fischer is questioned about the accusation of illegal party financing by Telekom. The former Telekom executive council describes the close ties that it has with lobbyist Peter Hochegger.

Money for football club Molterers hometown?

Fischer pointed out that the first conversation took place at the request of Molterer, after which it was a sponsorship of 20,000 euros for the football club of the hometown of Molterer. There were two meetings with Molterer. As such, small telecommunication clubs – as in this case the SV Sierning – are not sponsored. SV Sierning however received the money. "I forwarded the order to Peter Hochegger because it was one of those tricky sponsorships," Fischer said. Two applications, 2006 and 2007, resulted in such sponsorship requests from Molterer.

Judge Hohenecker wanted to know what Molterer had had when the football club in his city had money "It is then discussed in Sierning," said Fischer. He believed that it was the constituency of Molterers. For the telecom, the sponsorship has brought "a stronger bond" to Molterer, "it is unfortunately the case".

He also remembers meeting with Lopatka after such a long time. "Some things remain in your memory," Fischer told the Vienna Straflandesgericht today. Lopatka had explained to him "how the political landscape in Austria works". Subsequently, he did not have any other meetings of this type, but he badumed that a co-head telecom, who previously worked in the ÖVP at a management position continued these meetings.

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