Connection to Cyprus – This is how Benko’s luxury private chalet was financed

The stately “Chalet N” is now located on the site of the former “Schlössle” in Oberlech in Vorarlberg. The letter N stands for Natalie – the first name of Benko’s wife. On paper, this property profiles itself as an exclusive hotel, but in reality it is mainly accessible to a select circle of connoisseurs due to the exorbitantly high prices. Locals report that the chalet is more often abandoned than inhabited.

An open secret is that the Benko family are often the only guests. If the name Benko is on it, then there is an opaque corporate structure behind it. This is also the case with Chalet N: it is part of the business empire of “Muxel Berggasthof Schlössle GmbH”, which in turn belongs to Benko’s Laura Private Foundation through a network of investments.

Matter of financing
A detail that receives less attention is the issue of financing the luxury charlet. A contract from the audit of Muxel Berggasthof Schlössle GmbH, which is available to the U-Commission, shows that in 2011 a remarkable 8.5 million euros was paid for the construction of the “Schlössle” in Benko’s “Chalet N” by a mysterious company, “Lech Participations GmbH”, based in Vienna, were transferred.

This company, which was liquidated in 2017, is the focus of the parliamentary investigation committee. NEOS faction leader Yannick Shetty was now able to identify the owner of the questionable company. What is particularly explosive is that the €8.5 million in question originally came from another shell company, Globalbasis Limited, based in Cyprus.

Greek shipowner and billionaire George Economou is behind Globalbasis Limited. Until 2015 he was half-owner of Signa. The amazing thing is that Benko already needed a multi-million subsidy from his partner for Chalet N, even though he was already on his way to becoming a Euro billionaire at that time. According to the magazine “Trend”, Benko would have crossed the billion dollar mark at the age of 40.

NEOS has criticism
“The Benko system shows how you can use smart contacts in politics and financial administration for your own business advantage. Unfortunately in Austria who you know doesn’t count what you can do. It is absolutely incomprehensible that the Tax Authorities did not listen sooner. Why can favorites like Benko allow themselves things that are absolutely unthinkable for all honest taxpayers?”, criticizes Yannick Shetty, faction leader of the NEOS faction in the U Commission.