A verdict is expected on Friday in the second trial of former Vice Chancellor Heinz-Christian Strache. He stands before the Vienna Regional Court for bribery. Specifically, Strache is said to have given the also accused businessman Siegfried Stieglitz a commissionership in Asfinag for donations to an association close to the FPÖ.
The last witnesses in the trial were heard on Tuesday, including the former chief of staff of the former Minister of Infrastructure in the turquoise-blue government, Rene Schimanek. He allegedly passed on a list of names of possible FPÖ candidates for committees in state-related companies. Goldfinch was also on this. Keeping such a list is already an official matter, the prosecutor said in the trial on Friday. It was not about the qualifications in filling the position, but about Stieglitz’s political views and loyalty.
Denied invitation to Dubai
Other topics on Friday are the so-called fragmented donations to the association “Austria in Motion” and an invitation from Strache to Stieglitz’s birthday party in Dubai, which the former politician turned down. Stieglitz is charged with bribery, Strache with corruption. To date, they have denied the allegations against them. Stieglitz’s attorney defended his client by saying that he was being generous and that it was a purely friendly invitation.
Strache was sentenced to 15 months on probation almost a year ago. This proceeding concerned a suspected purchase of a law related to Währing’s private clinic. The verdict of the second trial is expected Friday.
Source: Krone
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