Sophie Karmasin should have been tried in early 2023. The former Minister of Family Affairs has been charged by the Public Prosecution Service for Economic Affairs and Corruption (WKStA) for anti-competitive agreements in tendering procedures and serious fraud. But the negotiations will be postponed. The lawyer of the employee of the Ministry of Sports who is also accused will file an objection.
Thomas Krankl, the lawyer of the second suspect in the case of ex-minister Sophie Karmasin, wants to object to the charges against the WKStA on Tuesday. He confirmed this in an interview with the “Krone” on Friday. The trial against the pollster will therefore be postponed. Because now the higher regional court has to review the charges against the ex-Minister of Family Affairs and senior officials of the Ministry of Sports.
“On the one hand, there are formal shortcomings in the charges,” Krankl explains the justification for the objection, “on the other hand, it must be verified whether the procedure in the tenders is punishable at all, especially since it is a direct award procedure.” The lawyer is optimistic that the charges against his client will be set aside.
Price agreements for sports ministry studies?
His objection concerns the accusation of anti-competitive agreements in tendering procedures on the basis of Article 168b DCC. According to the prosecutor’s office, there were pre-arranged mock offers from competitors, including Sabine Beinschab, for three sports ministry studies before the order was placed. According to the indictment, these were aimed at Karmasin who would receive the orders as the best bidder. This was successful in two cases, involving orders worth 130,000 euros.
No right to continued payment
Karmasin, represented by the law firm Kollmann & Wolm, is to be charged with serious fraud. Here, the OM assumes that the former minister accepted self-employed jobs after she left the federal government, despite continuing to pay her salary. She obscured the income by using incorrect performance periods – namely only after the end of the continued payment – to settle accounts. Even before she left the ministry, the 55-year-old had agreed on self-employment for the first half of 2018 and implemented it seamlessly, so she was never entitled to continued payment. In the spring of 2022, she repaid 74,141 euros.
Waiting on different levels
Karmasin has to wait again. Not only in this case: the pollster is also in the crosshairs of the judiciary in connection with the leg scraper. The investigation by the public prosecutor is still ongoing.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
