The judge in the short trial was sentenced to disciplinary punishment in May 2023 for betraying secrets. As it became known on Tuesday, Michael Radasztics committed dereliction of duty during his time as prosecutor in the Eurofighter affair.
Kurz’s lawyers spoke of a ‘strange procedure’, as ‘Heute’, among others, reported online on Tuesday evening. The court said these allegations had nothing to do with Radasztics’ legal work. He has been a judge since January 1, 2023.
What is it about?
In concrete terms, the Kurz judge is accused of two things. On the one hand, he is said to have “culpably violated” his duties in the Eurofighter case and, on the other hand, to have passed on information from investigation files to former Green Party politician Peter Pilz in 2018. In 2012, Radasztics allegedly first broke off the investigation and then failed to inform the suspect and former Finance Minister Karl-Heinz Grasser that criminal proceedings were underway against him.
3600 euro fine
The decision to impose a disciplinary penalty was taken in May 2023. However, because the suspect and the Public Prosecution Service appealed, this did not become final until December. Radasztics was sentenced to a fine of 3,600 euros, which he paid. This corresponds to half a month’s salary.
However, the criminal investigation into abuse of office and violation of official secrecy was discontinued. This information could now lead to further controversy and debate over the short trial. The trouble is that Kurz’s lawyer, Otto Dietrich, filed a motion for bias early in the trial. The reason was that the judge had a close relationship with Pilz and that the ex-politician was one of Kurz’s biggest critics. However, the judge rejected the request for partiality.
As reported, former Chancellor Sebastian Kurz was sentenced on Friday to an eight-month suspended prison sentence for making false statements to the Ibiza Commission of Inquiry. His former chief of staff, Bernhard Bonelli, was given a six-month suspended prison sentence for the same offense. The defense plans to challenge the verdicts, so they are not legally binding. However, the Public Prosecution Service for Economic and Corruption (WKStA) has not announced any legal action against the short sentence.
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.
