Former Finance Minister Hartwig Löger was questioned on Monday as a witness in the trial of ex-chancellor Sebastian Kurz (both ÖVP) for making false statements in the Ibiza investigative committee. Although he was not really a burden to his former boss, he did confirm that he had some influence on the appointment of positions in the state holding company ÖBAG. Judge Michael Radasztics has now agreed to the Kurz defense’s request and will call as witnesses two Russian businessmen who Thomas Schmid met in Amsterdam this summer.
“I have a memory dilemma.” This sentence from Hartwig Löger in relation to a side letter about the division of political positions in the state-run ÖBAG means that judge Michael Radasztics must ask for calm in the courtroom. Because some observers couldn’t help but laugh. The former finance minister, who is called as a witness in the trial of Sebastian Kurz, often cannot remember who spoke, when and with whom about the positions in the Öbag.
Löger felt no pressure from the ex-chancellor
The crucial question: was former Chancellor Kurz really only ‘involved, in the sense of informed’ in the appointment of the Öbag boss and the supervisory board, as he stated in the U-Committee, or did he have an active say? – “Sebastian Kurz has always shown his interest,” says Löger, another term with “i” intended to describe the role of the ex-chancellor at the time. There was an exchange about names. Ultimately, however, he, Löger, tried to “classify the various proposals accordingly” – he never felt any pressure from the ex-chancellor in this regard.
Conclusion after eight hours: Löger does not want to endorse Schmid’s statements; He obviously doesn’t want to burden Sebastian Kurz and especially not himself. A tightrope act between different chats projected on the screen
Löger is witness number three in the trial, which runs the risk of turning into a strudel dough. It drags on. And it seems that neither Radasztics nor senior prosecutor Adamovic expects in-depth answers from the suspects and witnesses. The alleged false statement has been under negotiation for two months, with a fine of up to three years. There is no end in sight to the process.
On the contrary. On Monday, the judge decided whether more witnesses would be called. For example, he admits the two Russian businessmen who filed a mysterious declaration through Kurz’s lawyer Otto Dietrich.
In the summer, Schmid interviewed them in Amsterdam for a top job at an oil company in Tbilisi, Georgia. The prosecution’s main witness explained to the men that he was under enormous pressure from the WKStA. He also made false statements about Sebastian Kurz in Amsterdam. Dietrich wants to use the two new witnesses to undermine Thomas Schmid’s credibility.
Adamovic: “Provoked evidence?”
But can this work? Because the ominous meeting and its content raise many questions. Adamovic put it this way on Monday: “It must be examined whether this is provoked evidence.” It is also uncertain whether the Russians will respond to the call to testify
In any case, Sigi Wolf and Heinz-Christian Strache are not interviewed. Radasztics has rejected a request from the WKStA for their summons.
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.
