Russian espionage: – “Causa would have deserved its own U-committee”

Former Secret Service agent Egisto Ott caused a domestic political tremor. He was already suspected of spying for the Russians in 2016/2017. “He had a large network of informants,” says Anna Thalhammer, editor-in-chief and expert in this case. “There are connections with the Ibiza case and with the fugitive Wirecard manager Jan Marsalek. I am amazed at the excitement there is now, even though a lot of it has been in the newspapers for a long time,” she explained to Rainer Nowak.

How could it come to this? Since the Cold War, Austria has had a reputation as a good ‘area of ​​operations for services’, explains intelligence expert Dieter Bacher of the Ludwig Boltzmann Institute. There are similar cases from the Cold War. Apparently Marsalek has managed to build a circle of informants in an Austrian agency, which is astonishing and extraordinary.

Reinhold Lopatka, foreign policy spokesman and top EU candidate for the ÖVP, noted that apparently only a few politicians were involved, “but what is certain is that the then head of the BVT, Peter Gridling, tried to get rid of Ott To hit. Apparently that did not work.” And given the scope of the case, “and if our safety is so important to us, then this case would certainly deserve its own investigative committee. That would be a matter for the next parliament.”

Motives: Of money, revenge and ego
It is an incredibly complex matter, says expert Thalhammer. Ott and his partner and superior Martin Weiss were very talented, “but it still shows how poorly and weakly positioned we are. The real scandal is that the judiciary has been watching for years and parliamentarians have allowed civil servants to sell them information. They had contacts with all parties.” An example: During the committee, Ott talked to FPÖ man Jenewein about what questions to ask. And so he did. The motive? “Obviously money and also revenge,” Thalhammer said

Historian Bracher referred to the ‘MICE model’, money, ideology, blackmail and ego. These are the motives for letting people provide confidential information. Marsalek and others may have focused more on Ott’s ego.

Politicians of all stripes came together through the Russian-Austrian Friendship Association, as did businessmen, bankers, etc. Intensive networks existed here. Lopakta: “Maybe we were more naive than others when it came to Russia or Putin. People saw the good contacts with Putin as an opportunity.”

“People laughed at us”
What role did neutrality play in Austria’s popularity in services? “We have many international organizations, which is always interesting for international services. However, they are less concerned with Austria itself, but rather with the area of ​​operations,” says Bacher.

Thalhammer referred to the damage suffered by Austria due to the transfer, especially of foreign partner services. “That is also an absolute no-go. The services depend on trust and cooperation with others,” he said. This can lead to a permanent loss of trust.

“People laughed at us for a while.” The situation has now calmed down, says Thalhammer. The British again sent confidential information, which did not have to happen.

What’s next? If Ott were to be charged, it would be a first in Vienna, according to the journalist. The first step should be to admit your weaknesses and that you have allowed yourself to be exploited. And don’t blame each other, she concluded.