[ad_1]
Peter Barthold, a former Rapid footballer, game operator and later Novomatic critic, was a chatty talker on the U-Committee. Unlike the chairman of the Novomatic supervisory board, Bernd Oswald.
In May 2019, the so-called “Ibiza Video” turned Austria’s political landscape upside down. It led to the outbreak of the turquoise blue coalition and catapulted the then head and vice chancellor of the FPÖ, Heinz-Christian Strache, to the bench. The political reevaluation now takes place a year later in the Ibiza parliamentary inquiry commission. “Die Presse” brings you updates from the Hofburg.
Who were the respondents on September 30?
- Peter Barthold, former business partner of Novomatic. The former Rapid goalkeeper and later gaming operator was involved in a legal dispute with the gaming company from 2016 to 2019.
- Bernd Oswald, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Novomatic. (Also interesting: Oswald’s wife, a prosecutor, worked for the chairman of the U Committee, Wolfgang Sobotka, and for today’s interior minister, Karl Nehammer. Both politicians are in the ÖVP. She is also a relative of the founder of Novomatic, Johann Graf).
- Stefan K., The Novomatic manager was invited as a third party.
U Committee updates:
- Another round of betting in the U Committee is scheduled for Wednesday. As on Tuesday, when Novomatic representatives gave more or less information, the focus is on the question of whether the game company wanted, or could, influence turquoise blue government legislation. How can Barthold help? He himself said that he had no perceptions of the events that occurred in the period under investigation – from the end of 2017 to the end of 2019 – “under investigation, but not in the last five years.” However, it could provide information on the events of 2006. Novomatic tried to obtain another gaming license at the time.
-
Barthold said he was responsible for his testimony on the Committee of the U Money offered state. Therefore, he should have testified in the Novomatics sense. A list of relevant statements was provided to him. Barthold said he disagreed. Sobotka announced one monitor and spoke of “criminally very relevant” processes. As Barthold explained, he met an informant from the gambling industry Sunday before loading at a motorway service station in St. Pölten. This had been appointed by a bankruptcy specialist, the Bartholds Private bankruptcy could handle. The payment on account of the fee – according to Barthold 20 to 40 percent of around 800,000 euros – should have come from a Viennese lawyer. the Answer list According to Barthold, he received an email from an intermediary for his questionnaire in the U Committee. Barthold said, he insisted on a written agreement for the settlement of his debts; he was scammed with a verbal agreement five years ago. Since this was not possible, he declined the offer.
-
Barthold also said that he anticipated the interview. “strange occurrences in the direction of a threat” dice. Barthold said the informant had expressly said that he had not approached him on behalf of Novomatics and that he had not given a specific amount of money. He was also promised an activity in the fight against foreign gambling providers illegally operating online gambling in Austria. The list of responses was kept on file with the U-Committee.
- It got turbulent when von Barthold mentioned it Industry insider information, who is said to have proposed the bankruptcy settlement against testimony in the Novomatic sense, while the Barthold questioning opinion published. Consequently, Barthold has his He discussed statements in the U committee with the Greens, Neos and SPÖ. Barthold denied it. He had contact, according to Barthold, but not in connection with the survey. He had already been in all political parties, including the Federal Chancellery. Barthold said he would not get involved in the insider trading allegations. “Do you really think I need flip charts to prepare my answers to the questions?” Barthold said. The relatively turbulent survey took a long time: Jan Krainer from the SPÖ came to his first questions after more than three hours. A respondent can only be interviewed for four hours at a time; in fact, three rounds of questions are provided.
-
Novomatic on Wednesday he categorically ruled out offering or paying Barthold money in connection with his remarks at the U-Committee. “It would also be completely strange to assume that we would offer money to someone with whom we have been in legal dispute for years, “said a spokesman. If Barthold’s remarks are found in the U-Committee minutes, Novomatic reserves the right to take legal action against him.
-
In his opening statement, Barthold defended himself against alleged “slander”: Millions were never gambled, as some “propaganda newspapers” claimed. Barthold denied that he was overly interested in the game himself. Even Casinos Austria recently confirmed that it had not displayed any “conspicuous gambling behavior”, it protested. However, in the four years that the Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (WKStA) investigated him, he was “highly defamed.” The case is closed.
-
Barthold had once claimed that Novomatic would have pursued him as well. End of the little game of chance in Vienna He promised to continue his business until 2024. This was the only lawsuit against the group, the former athlete said. He stressed that his engagement gave him deep insight into the industry: “I really saw what was happening here on the front line. What happens when you can lean into the game.”
-
The deputies’ questions also revolved around what Novomatic founder Graf’s gift list. As it turned out, there is a short version and a long version. There are many names of women whose husbands are related to Novomatic. Apparently, the spouses of politicians also received gifts. As a specific example, Barthold named the wife of the chairman of the former Vienna Gaming Machine Advisory Council, who received money from Graf in private. The WKStA also determines in relation to donation contracts, of which there are around 160, some in the millions. Graf’s attorney emphasized in August that all donations “for purely private reasons” were made without consideration and had been reported to tax authorities.
-
Bernd, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Novomatic Oswald Later he was much less talkative, at the beginning of the questioning he referred to the ongoing investigations into the donation agreements and his legal professional secrecy. He only got a little more elaborate when it came to praising the company – it was him. “a great concern to “correct baseless allegations as soon as possible”, he said. The fact that such a large international company is based in Austria of all places has many positive effects for the country.
- Neos MP Helmut Brandstätter presented Oswald with invoices, according to which from 2013 to 2015 once 10,000, once 20,000 and once 30,000 euros since Novomatic to the Alois Mock Institute I should have gone. An unspecified “cost reimbursement” was billed. Overall, as listed – 2013 to 2019 – Novomatic 108,934 euros transferred. For example, for catering, rental and advertising expenses. The president of the Alois Mock Institute is Sobotka, a fact that has been placed in the hands of the president of the National Council since the beginning of Committee U.
(APA / Red.)
