The main advisor, advisory council, head of the supervisory board: the former Spö chairman was in the soldier at Benko’s Signa Group. The “Kroon” knows the details.
In better times, René Benko and Alfred Gusenbauer were in the swimming pool of the Villa Ansaldi on the Garda -more, the sun was shining on the belly and enjoyed thick cigars. Today, financial juggler Benko is in custody. And his long -term adviser Gusenbauer also caused a sensation after his testimony for the researchers of the Soko Signna with lush costs in the bankruptcy of 2023. At the end of October 2023, shortly before the Signna Holding Crash, the former Spö chairman took two costs into account A total of 3.3 million euros. For “strategic advice” for “capital recovery measures”.
How did Guenbauer come to the Signa? And how was the former Chancellor collected around 20 million euros from the non-transparent Signa group in 15 years?
The change of the chancellery in the Benko universe took place, as it were. On December 2, 2008, Gusenbauer Ballhausplatz, on December 23, left the first contract with Benko, was also officially director of Signna Holding at that time. From February 2009 there was the content of a Chancellor of 280,000 euros a year for Gusenbauer – for a “time spending on one working week per month”, as the document says. Success costs were also possible.
Already in 2010 the agreement was added: Guenbauer should “get a fixed rate of EUR 280,000 from 2009” instead of “project -related, success -oriented special costs”. Means: the double chancellery.
Quick jumps
A confidential Signa -interim surface shows, as should continue in the following years for Alfred Gusenbauer and his GmbH:
560,000 euros in 2012 by Signa Holding.
907,500 euros in 2013, spread over Signa Holding, Signa Recap and Two Supervision Board Mandates.
977,500 euros in 2014.
1,105 million euros in 2015. At that time, the reimbursement of the supervisory council was still in the five-digit euro area, later they also became six figures.
Ultimately – from February 2023 – the monthly fee for the advisory board in the Signa holding was 50,000 euros. In addition, there were special costs of Gusenbauer Projektwicklung GmbH, which should invoice the holding company a total of twelve million euros for advice on Galeria Karstadt Kaufhof in the period 2020 to 2023.
The bankruptcy manager of the Signa Holding is especially interested in the question of what the implementation was.
Ex-Signa trader is a suspect
According to information from “Krone” and “News”, the research that the office of the Economic and Corruption Prosecutor (WKSTA) leads to Benko and other managers of the Signa Group, recently found: Dieter Berninghaus, former chief advisor in the trade in the Trade area. One of his companies would have received an “economically incompatible loan of more than 16.9 million euros” from Signa Holding 2022, which could have been used to buy a private house.
The WKSTA sees Benko and Bernninghaus “Factic Rulers” from Signa Holding. The suspicion is unfaithful, the allegations are refused. The suspicion of innocence applies.
A spokesperson for Bernninghaus said: “We are not yet aware of accusations of the authorities. If this is confirmed, we will of course work with the authorities and make them invalid.
Source: Krone
I’m Ben Stock, a journalist and author at Today Times Live. I specialize in economic news and have been working in the news industry for over five years. My experience spans from local journalism to international business reporting. In my career I’ve had the opportunity to interview some of the world’s leading economists and financial experts, giving me an insight into global trends that is unique among journalists.
