The hundreds of pages of protocols created during the interrogation of ex-ÖBAG boss Thomas Schmid about the Casino affair burden not only ex-Chancellor Sebastian Kurz, investor René Benko, Chairman of the National Council Wolfgang Sobotka and other ÖVP companions. , but also the turquoise-green coalition climate. “Of course the coalition is in charge,” Green National Councilor Nina Tomaselli said on Wednesday on the sidelines of the ÖVP’s corruption inquiry commission. Vice-chancellor and leader of the Green Party, Werner Kogler, feels confirmed by Schmid’s statements in his performance last year.
With the ultimatum to Kurz to withdraw, the right conclusions were drawn, Kogler said before the cabinet on Wednesday. He did not answer questions about the significance of Schmid’s statements for the current coalition. Kogler called on the members of the National Council and especially the NEOS to expand the ÖVP’s corruption investigation committee. Aspects that the criminal justice system may not have in mind can still be clarified there.
Green National Councilor Tomaselli was more open on the sidelines of the U-Commission than her party leader, declaring: “Of course the coalition is in charge.” Over the past two years, people have been confronted with “a continuous fire”. Due to the numerous suspected cases of corruption, the coalition partner has become very “introverted,” Tomaselli continued.
At the same time, the Greens politician emphasized that one should not prejudge the judiciary. “But that doesn’t absolve us from clarifying political responsibility for these events,” explains Tomaselli, who sits on the U-Committee for the Greens.
Clemency for Schmid?
On Tuesday it was announced that Schmid had approached the Public Prosecution Service for Business and Corruption with a view to potentially obtaining leniency status. In his testimony, Schmid put a lot of strain on his former close companion Kurz and himself on several occasions. The former chancellor was involved in the inquiry affair, the ÖVP misused the money and the structures of the Ministry of Finance to promote the People’s Party and Kurz.
Source: Krone
I’m an experienced news author and editor based in New York City. I specialize in covering healthcare news stories for Today Times Live, helping to keep readers informed on the latest developments related to the industry. I have a deep understanding of medical topics, including emerging treatments and drugs, the changing laws that regulate healthcare providers, and other matters that affect public health.
