Next week, the ÖVP Corruption Commission of Inquiry will be all about Thomas Schmid. The former Secretary-General of the Ministry of Finance and ex-ÖBAG boss will now appear as an informant on the ÖVP-U committee after ignoring allegations several times on Thursday. Schmid’s statements to the Economic and Corruption Prosecution Service (WKStA), with which he had accused several prominent ÖVP politicians, will be the focus of the investigation.
Last week, the WKStA also discussed exactly what the parliamentarians will ask Schmid on November 3. The Public Prosecution Service fears that questions in the University Committee about matters that have not yet been heard could hinder the investigation. The public prosecutor therefore approached the political groups with a list of subjects on which Schmid had already testified. However, so far no agreement has been reached because the ÖVP – the only political group in Parliament – did not agree to such an agreement.
Questions about Kurz, Wolf and Benko
In any case, Schmid will be asked about the content of the interrogation protocols that are already known: whether ex-chancellor Sebastian Kurz (ÖVP) knew about the “Beinschab-Österreich-Tool” or instructed, Kurz’s role in filling such messages of Thomas Schmid as BAG boss and a related alleged false statement Kurz’ in the U-committee, as well as alleged tax breaks for investors such as Siegfried Wolf or René Benko.
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.
