In the last regular week of interrogation by the University Committee on the “red-blue abuse of power” prominent witnesses are once again present. In addition to the second appearance of FPÖ boss Herbert Kickl, ex-BVT director Peter Gridling and, at the invitation of the FPÖ, trendy restaurateur Martin Ho, are among others invited on May 7 and 8. However, the question is whether the witnesses will also appear in parliament. Due to the tight deadline, the factions cannot request a fine if they do not appear.
The summons went out on Thursday afternoon and must be collected by the interviewees within ten days, i.e. for those summoned today, only after the date of the hearing. The city councilor Alexis Pascuttini, who was expelled from the Graz FPÖ, has already announced that he wants to answer all questions. His willingness will also be important during his interrogation on Tuesday, because the financial scandal of the Graz Freedom Party is not really among the topics. For this reason, the Ministry of Justice rejected the submission of files and questions about this were not allowed within the committee itself. However, a respondent may answer voluntarily.
Kickl’s second appearance
The second Kickl investigation is also scheduled for Tuesday. The other parties saw his first appearance in mid-April as a “deliberate game” between him and his secretary general, Christian Hafenecker, who heads the FPÖ parliamentary group on the committee.
NEOS wants to load Gudenus
It is still a bit uncertain who will actually receive their shipment on Wednesday. The NEOS originally wanted to invite former Vienna FPÖ leader Johann Gudenus and question him about relations with Russia. However, now that it has become clear that he would probably not have kept the agreement, the Pinks now want to question the former secretary general of the Austro-Russian Friendship Association, Florian Stermann.
This should probably serve as a precursor to a Russia-U commission after the National Council elections: “We want to ask him about the systematic data highway between Jan Marsalek and FP politician Gudenus. Files show that Stermann requested and forwarded top secret information from Gudenus on behalf of Jan Marsalek,” NEOS faction leader Yannick Shetty told the APA.
The question is what Martin Ho should say
At the request of the FPÖ, Viennese restaurateur Martin Ho was also invited on Wednesday – but the question is to what extent he will be able to testify as a witness on the subject of the investigation when he comes. Also invited are the former director of the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution and the Combating of Terrorism, Peter Gridling, as well as the old security chief of ex-FPÖ president Heinz Christian Strache.
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.
