Things could get awkward for FPÖ leader Herbert Kickl in the U-Committee next Tuesday. He has to fight on several fronts: there is the affair about Russian spies with good contacts at the PVV, the old story with the think tank agency and now also investigations into advertising corruption in the turquoise blue government.
Former FPÖ leader and vice-chancellor Heinz-Christian Strache, as well as former blue ministers Norbert Hofer, Mario Kunasek, Beate Hartinger-Klein and Kickl himself, are being investigated for bribery, corruption and breach of trust. In concrete terms, the media group Austria allegedly reported in the spirit of the FPÖ and received a large number of advertisements for this. The presumption of innocence applies to all persons mentioned!
“Noticeable favoritism”?
This suspicion is reinforced in a media analysis that the Public Prosecution Service for corruption commissioned as part of the preparatory investigation. Although a weekly advertising evaluation is recommended for a final evaluation, the quarterly evaluation already shows a “noticeable preference for the Austrian media group” by more than 50 percent, according to the analysis available to “Krone”.
Kickl will likely refrain from testifying in this case because he is the suspect. But there is a wide range of topics, says Andreas Hanger, leader of the ÖVP group. The full four-hour survey is available for Kickl, although only the pure question time counts here. In total, the whole thing will take many hours, if not all day.
Neos, SPÖ and ÖVP in particular see a need for clarification in the think tank case, which was actually resolved by the court years ago and ended with a guilty verdict for the former Carinthian FPÖ and BZÖ politician Uwe Scheuch. Hanger suspects that Kickl would have personally enriched himself with the think tank. During his first interrogation in the U-Commission he truthfully testified that he had not earned a cent from it. Kickl’s tax file, which is now available to the committee, should provide clarity.
Wide range of topics
The crime story about suspected Russian spy Egisto Ott could become exciting again. He is said to have had close contact with former Kickl confidant Hans-Jörg Jenewein. ‘Kickl is now pretending not to know Jenewein. “That’s totally unbelievable,” Hanger said. The ÖVP also wants to tackle the financial scandal surrounding the Graz FPÖ. However, the question is whether so many topics can actually be realized.
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.
