[ad_1]
Eight years in prison for former Finance Minister Karl-Heinz Grasser, seven years for Walter Meischberger, six years for Peter Hochegger. Those are the guilty verdicts in Buwog’s trial. Grasser’s lawyer has already announced his appointment. The federal government can claim back commissions.
Since Claudia Gigler and Christina Traar | 4:05 pm, December 4, 2020
Eight convictions Y six acquittals: In the process of corruption against the former finance minister Karl-Heinz Grasser and more 13 defendants Today a verdict was pronounced after a three-year trial. judge Marion hohenecker she proclaims the verdict as Speaker of the Senate of Lay Justices, which will likely take several hours due to the far-reaching trial.
The essence was clear from the first minute: the three main defendants, Karl-Heinz Grasser, the former politician and later lobbyist Walter Meischberger as well as business consultants Peter hochegger they are guilty, the judge began Hohenecker. There are also convictions for Karl Petrikovics, the former head of Immofinanz, and Georg starzer, former board member of RLB Upper Austria, as well as former head of Telekom Rudolf fischer, as Gerald toifl, Former attorney for Meischberger, and Norbert Wicki, a Swiss asset manager.
Five defendants in the complex around Linz Terminal Tower were acquitted. Meischberger was acquitted of the fraud charge around his villa in Vienna-Döbling. The former director of Immofinanz was also acquitted Christian thornton.
- Karl Heinz Grasser: Eight years
- Walter Meischberger: Seven years
- Peter Hochegger: Six additional years in prison
- Karl Petrikovics: Two more years in prison
- Rudolf Fischer: Additional penalty of one year
- Georg Starzer – three years
- Gerald Toifl – two years
- Norberto Wicki – 20 months
Infidelity and acceptance of gifts
Grasser was due Infidelity, falsification of evidence and acceptance of gifts condemned by officials. The judge said that he had abused his political function, violated patrimonial interests and did not fulfill his obligations.
It is a covert commission arrangement by the ruling Grasser at the expense of the ruling Austrian Republic, by which it was damaged.
Judge Marion Hohenecker
Eight years in prison for former finance minister Karl-Heinz Grasser, seven years for Walter Meischberger (breach of trust, falsification of evidence, assistance in accepting gifts, bribery), six years for Peter Hochegger (embezzlement, breach of trust, bribery, false evidence). Those are the convictions.
The verdict announced today also means for the main defendants that they have to pay the federal government their share of the federal housing privatization commission, the sentence must be final.
All judgments are not final. Grasser’s lawyer resigned before the trial ended vocation a. Both Grasser and Meischberger speak of a flagrant “error of judgment.”
“Expected acquittal”
This morning he was expecting an acquittal and was therefore now “sad, shocked and scared,” Karl-Heinz Grasser said. 150 witnesses had exonerated him in the process. “This ruling has nothing to do with fairness and justice,” said the former finance minister.
The second defendant in Grasser’s trial, former FPÖ Secretary General Walter Meischberger, emerged from the grand jury of the Vienna Criminal District Court, visibly upset, as Judge Marion Hohenecker delivered the verdict. He was just awaiting his seven-year sentence. Meischberger wants to appeal to the European court of human rights. His lawyer Jörg Zarbl is convinced: “The verdict will not stand.”
Peter Hochegger reacted coldly: “I have learned to face the events of life with equanimity.”
Infidelity since 2003
The judge’s conclusions in staccato:
- Grasser had committed infidelities since late 2003. He was Minister of Finance from February 2000 to January 2007.
- The jury’s senate finds it proven that only Grasser, as Meischberger’s informant, can be considered for the losing CA Immo bid.
- The controversial accounts actually belonged to him and the construction contractor Ernst Karl Plech – Plech declared himself unable to stand virtually from the start of the court hearings.
- In relation to the attempt to classify money that he had deposited in cash in a Swiss account as his mother-in-law’s money (which she later denied), the judge speaks of falsifying evidence.
The position of the economic and corruption prosecutor’s office threw the Minister of Finance in two governments of the former foreign minister Wolfgang bowl In front:
- He committed breach of trust in the privatization of federal apartments (Buwog) in 2004 and allowed himself to be bribed. This represents a commission of 9.6 million euros.
- Furthermore, he is said to have received a bribe when the tax authorities rented the Terminal Tower office building in Linz. 200,000 euros are said to have entered the Linz office building.
According to the indictment, the money was shared between Grasser and his accomplices. Grasser and the co-defendants Walter Meischberger Y Serious plague – for a long time without being able to be tried for health reasons – rejected the accusations and accused the accusers of partiality and violation of the law.
The former lobbyist co-defendant Peter hochegger made a partial confession at the beginning of the trial and thus incriminated the other defendants.
