In the investigations into the financial affair of the FPÖ Graz, things are now getting uncomfortable for the liberal Styrian boss Mario Kunasek. Detectives accuse the ex-minister of giving false testimony and want his immunity in the state parliament lifted. Kunasek vehemently rejects everything.
On June 13 last year, former Defense Minister Mario Kunasek was questioned by detectives as a witness. It was about the financial affair of the FPÖ Graz. For years, funds from the city’s club promotion have been allegedly diverted on a large scale and both the former head of the city party and “smaller fish” are under investigation.
During his interrogation, Kunasek allegedly “deliberately failed to testify according to his level of knowledge” and also “deliberately failed to submit evidence”. This is the accusation of the Carinthian criminal investigation department in a report to the Klagenfurt prosecutor’s office (they took over the investigation from the Styrians in the financial case). An example: In June 2022, the results of external and internal audits organized by the State party were already available. However, the test report was not handed over to the investigators at the time, but remained in the safe of the state party.
The investigators suspect that Kunasek’s motive was to prevent the Styrian FPÖ state party from becoming the focus of the investigation. Not least because of an email from 2019, the state criminal investigation department suspects that “there were also financial transactions between the state party of the FPÖ Styria and the city party of the FPÖ Graz and the city council club of the FPÖ Graz”. In the minutes of a meeting of the state party board (January 2022), the concern about house searches becomes clear.
“Always fully cooperated with the authorities”
The Styrian Freedom Party rejected the “insubstantial allegations in the strongest possible terms. We have always fully cooperated with the authorities and submitted all documents, and we are in constant contact with the authorities,” a statement said. the handover of all existing documents and full transparency as the main guidelines at every meeting of the provincial party board, as is clear from the logbooks.” Further statements on specific points from the police report were not made when requested.
Ball is in the parquet
What’s next? The state detective wants Kunasek’s immunity as a member of the state parliament to be waived. However, the public prosecutor’s office in Klagenfurt would have to submit an application for this, which they did not do on Tuesday. Should this happen, the constitutional commission in the state parliament would have to deal with the request.
Joy in ex-liberties
Those former Freedomists in Graz who were kicked out of the party in the autumn and have now united in the (corruption-free) City Council Club are happy with the new developments. “As a former board member of the state party, I can confirm that Mario Kunasek and the leadership of the state party had the utmost interest in ensuring that there would be no deep investigation against the FPÖ Styria,” said city councilor Claudia Schönbacher. The corruption-free want to prosecute that in a press conference on Wednesday.
Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
