Former Austrian Chancellor Kurz to stand trial

In Austria, former Prime Minister Sebastian Kurz will be brought before a judge for making false statements to the parliamentary committee investigating corruption allegations he was involved in.

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 In a written statement from the Vienna-based Economy and Corruption Prosecutor's Office (WKStA), it was reported that a criminal complaint was filed against former Prime Minister Sebastian Kurz on the grounds that he made a false statement to the parliamentary investigative committee.

The penalty for the alleged crime is up to three years in prison, the statement said.

CORRUPTION INVESTIGATION

In October 2021, a corruption investigation was launched against Thomas Schmid, the former General Manager of Austria Participation Holding (ÖBAG), which is known for its closeness to Kurz and the country's largest companies, and many important names.

Schmid made slanders in October 2022 and brought heavy charges against Kurz.

Among these, Kurz agreed with the country's second best-selling newspaper and an opinion research company to influence the public opinion in order to become the leader of the centre-right Austrian People's Party (ÖVP), the major partner of the government, and to win the early elections held in 2017. It was claimed that the said press and the company shared the results of the survey that showed Kurz ahead of him, and that this event was financed from the budget of the ministry of finance.

Schmid, who has held various positions in the finance ministry for many years, stated that in the 2017 election campaign, advertisements were given to many media organs to support Kurz, and that these advertisements were financed illegally. Schmid stated that Kurz had resorted to various ways such as bribery and nepotism in order to achieve his goal, and claimed that he felt the need to make a statement to the prosecutor's office because "he thought some of the things they did were wrong" .

Kurz's lawyer, who is being investigated for "corruption, bribery and abuse of trust" , rejects Schmid's statements.

AN ANTI-Türkiye NAME

Kurz, who has been an influential political figure in the last 10 years of the country, has been successful by using Turkey, Islam and anti-immigration cards to get the far-right vote potential, especially in the elections held in 2017 and 2019, and served as prime minister for two terms.

The Anti-Corruption and Financial Crimes Prosecutor's Office launched a corruption investigation against more than 40 suspects, including Kurz, in October 2021, and raids were carried out on many addresses, including the prime minister's office.

Kurz, who had to resign from his post as prime minister on 9 October as a result of the pressures of his ruling partner and the opposition, continued his duty as party chairman for a while, and announced that he left active politics on 3 December, citing family reasons.