After a days-long trial, the jury will discuss bribery charges against ex-Greens Christoph Chorherr and nine other accused businessmen in Vienna’s regional court on Monday. The proof process is over.
A trial day was actually scheduled for January 30, but it could be faster: Judge Michael Tolstiuk should announce the jury’s verdicts in the Chorherr trial on Monday.
Last witness questioned
Christoph Chorherr, 62, as a former spokesperson for green planning in Vienna, faced allegations of “abuse of official authority” and “bribery”. According to the WKStA, he would have accepted donations to his association, which promotes school projects in South Africa, to bring about city council decisions. Nine entrepreneurs, such as real estate juggler René Benko, are also accused. Recently, Beate NEOS boss Meinl-Reisinger and ex-deputy mayor Maria Vassilakou (Greens) were invited as witnesses. A Viennese entrepreneur was interviewed at the start on Monday.
Brief dispute with the suspect
The witness was Peter Schaider, the owner of the Auhof-Center and Riverside shopping malls. He reported on a contract for an extension of the center project, which was blocked by Christoph Chorherr: “I kept trying to get an appointment. Chorherr didn’t answer his mobile phone either.” In his statement, the main defendant gives the reason for this: “Mr. Schaider built up step by step and then applied to the city of Vienna. Afterwards.” – “What a cheek!” Schaider shouted excitedly into the mike.
In the end, however, he said he continued construction based on verbal commitments from the planning alderman and the mayor. The prosecutor nevertheless drew the following conclusion from the entrepreneur’s statement: “I maintain that if they had met at club level things might have gone a bit smoother, it would have been easier to talk.” Schaider did not donate to the “S2Arch” choirmaster association.
“Now Judgment Is Near”
The evidence was finalized Monday morning. The closing arguments began. Chorherr’s lawyer Richard Soyer is confident: “The evidence has made an important contribution to clarifying the allegations. Now the court has its say.” Michael Rami represents the second suspect Willi Hemetsberger: “My client is innocent, therefore I will ask for an acquittal.”
Source: Krone
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