In the ORF “Press Hour” on Sunday, Justice Minister Karoline Edtstadler once again urged strengthening the rights of the accused and limiting investigations. “It is not possible”, that investigations take seven, thirteen or even fourteen years. Edtstadler foresees a limitation of two to three years, in difficult cases a maximum of four years. “Everything else is insane,” the minister said.
In doing so, she agrees with the demand of the new president of the Austrian Bar Association (ÖRAK), Armenak Utudjian. Edtstadler reiterated that she once called the accused’s status a “civil death penalty” and again spoke in favor of strengthening the rights of the accused.
The minister also renewed the ÖVP’s repeated criticism of the Economic and Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (WKStA). “No one can be above criticism. Criticism should be possible.”
Claim on Zadic
ÖVP Secretary General Christian Stocker did the same on Sunday. “If someone like me is on the U-committee and sees no need for changes at the WKStA, I worry,” he said in the “Tiroler Tageszeitung”. It is the task of Justice Minister Alma Zadic (Greens) to do something about this. “She has to look at how to work in such a way that people don’t eavesdrop on each other and prepare their own technical guidance in such a way that it is de facto abolished. You also have to make sure that the procedure ends at an appropriate moment, as they say in legal German And it’s about dealing with criticism. I think the Minister of Justice should do more than present himself before the judiciary,” Stocker said.
Utudjian had also recently criticized the WKStA quite harshly. And he also renewed them on Sundays. “Sometimes the impression is that as soon as the investigations start, the criminalization starts. One can have this impression from the outside. I hope that is not the case,” he said in the “Kleine Zeitung.”
In discussing the creation of an independent federal prosecutor’s office, Edtstadler reiterated her call for parliamentary scrutiny of the Attorney General as leader. Appointments, resignations and ongoing monitoring should be done through parliament, the minister said in the “press hour”.
Greens reject criticism
Green justice spokeswoman Agnes Prammer rejected the criticism of the ÖVP. “Over the past few years, Alma Zadic has consistently reduced the possibilities for politicians to influence proceedings. Understandably, this is not welcomed by the parties themselves affected by the procedure. However, it is unacceptable that there are constant attempts to portray the work of the prosecution in a bad light.” “Investigations in Austria have to be submitted to an independent court after three years. The independent judge then decides whether the proceedings should be closed or continued. An absolute limit would be irresponsible. Because it could mean that, for example, complex terrorism procedures and procedures against corruption or organized crime should no longer be conducted.”
SPÖ spokeswoman Selma Yildirim also criticized today’s statements by ÖVP politicians. For decades, the judiciary has been “held in the stranglehold of the ÖVP, starved and prevented from making any progress in digitization, work facilitation and equipment”. “Instead of crying crocodile tears when the ÖVP as a party and their party friends themselves are in a quagmire with some 20 ongoing investigations, they should start working on the future and make improvements so that the duration of the procedure is actually shortened, ‘ said the SPÖ MPs towards the ÖVP.
Source: Krone
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