[ad_1]
A round of active and former representatives of ÖVP and FPÖ should answer questions in the first five weeks of the Ibiza investigative committee, according to SPÖ and NEOS. Chancellor Sebastian Kurz and several ÖVP ministers are on the loading list, to be requested on Wednesday, while Heinz-Christian Strache, Johann Gudenus and Norbert Hofer are on the liberal side. A total of 30 respondents invite SPÖ and NEOS to the first installment in the Ibiza research committee, which will last until mid-July. Among them are representatives of the former turquoise blue coalition, as well as high-ranking businessmen and prosecutors. The list in detail:
- June 4: Florian Klenk, journalist; Heinz-Christian Strache, former vice chancellor and former FPÖ boss Johann Gudenus, former FPÖ club president
- 5th June: Johann Graf, owner of Novomatic AG; Heidi Goess-Horten, Palais Goëss-Horten GmbH; Gaston Glock, Managing Director Glock GmbH
- June 9: Harald Neumann, former CEO of Novomatic AG; Matthias Purkart, OStA WKStA Alexander Merwald, Managing Director Novo Equity GmbH
- June 10th: Markus Tschank, former member of the National Council (FPÖ); Alexander Labak, former General Manager of CASAG; Dietmar Hoscher, former CEO of CASAG
- June 24: Sebastian Kurz, chancellor (ÖVP); Thomas Schmid, Board Member ÖBAG Hartwig Löger, Former Minister of Finance (ÖVP)
- June 25th: Gernot Blümel, Minister of Finance (ÖVP); Walter Rothesteiner, Chairman of the CASAG Supervisory Board; Bettina Glatz-Kremsner, General Manager of CASAG
- 1st of July: Peter Sidlo, ex-CFO of CASAG; Hubert Fuchs, former Secretary of State for Finance (FPÖ); Bernhard Krumpel, former head of communication for the Novomatic group
- July 2nd: Norbert Hofer, chairman of the federal FPÖ party; Arnold Schiefer, CFO of ÖBB Holding AG; Markus Braun, CEO of Sigma Investment AG
- July 15: Christian Pilnacek, Chief of Criminal Law Section; BMJ Johann Fuchs, OStA Vienna; Christina Jilek, OStA / WKStA
- July 16th: Maria-Luisa Nittel, Head of the Vienna Prosecutor’s Office; Gregor Adamovic, WKStA Andreas Holzer, Head of “Soko Tape”
Video: Kai Jan Krainer (SPÖ) and Stephanie Krisper (NEOS) unveiled the list on Tuesday morning. The press conference in summary:
The two FPÖ politicians, Strache and Gudenus, who resigned after the Ibiza affair, will be interviewed at the beginning of the committee on June 4. The two SPÖ and NEOS group chairpersons on the committee, Kai Jan Krainer and Stephanie Krisper, argued at a joint press conference that it was important to have the “main actors” of the Ibiza video present from the start. First, “Falter” editor-in-chief Florian Klenk, who has seen the entire recording, must report on the content of the video. Krainer assumes that this is not covered by editorial secrecy.
“Beneficiaries of political action”
In the same week, the alleged “beneficiaries of political action,” according to Krainer, should provide information. This also means entrepreneurs mentioned in the Ibiza video like Novomatic owners Johann Graf, Heidi Goess-Horten and Gaston Glock. Other representatives of the gaming industry are also expected to testify in the coming weeks, including representatives of Casinos Austria, who will be interviewed about suspected mail carriers.
Cause Casinos also lead to the burden of former and still active ÖVP ministers. SPÖ and NEOS want to invite former finance minister Hartwig Löger by June 24, and his successor, Gernot Blümel, who was the government coordinator at the time of Turquoise-Blue, the next day. Kurz hopes that “fast lighting” will be invited, like Löger, by June 24. FPÖ chief Norbert Hofer will be interviewed on July 2.
The first installment ends on July 16.
Towards the end of this first phase of Committee U, representatives of the judicial and executive powers, such as the head of the criminal law section in the Ministry of Justice, such as Christian Pilnacek, as well as the heads of the Office of the Economic and Corruption Prosecutor (WKStA), the superior prosecution and SOKO Ibiza will also testify. After this first tranche, which ends July 16, it will be seen whether the other groups will also participate constructively in the committee, Krainer said.
Sobotka “pretty nasty”
The role of National Council President Wolfgang Sobtka (ÖVP) as chairman of the committee will also be closely examined and, if necessary, questioned, Krisper said on behalf of his parliamentary group. She mentioned the previous dispute over the number of days of the survey. Krainer also emphasized that he had never experienced anything like this: “The beginning was terrible.” Sobotka has been “uncomfortable” so far.
It remains to be clarified where the committee will ultimately take place, with the SPÖ and NEOS still preferring the plenary in the Hofburg. A final decision must be made in a presidential week next week.
