Under enormous media attention, the large courtroom in the Vienna State Court reopened its doors to prominent politicians on Tuesday. This time it is former Minister of Family and Youth Affairs Sophie Karmasin who has to answer for herself in court. This includes serious fraud.
Shortly after half past nine, the Defendant entered the room, surrounded by her lawyers Philipp Wolm and Norbert Wess. Smartly dressed in a black jacket and white shirt, she takes the place of the quay. Patrick Aulebauer is a judge who, like Karmasin’s defense attorney Philipp Wolm, specializes in drug offenses.
But that is of course not the point of the process, which can be seen as a foretaste of many other processes from the CASAG file. The 56-year-old has previously been accused of anti-competitive agreements in tender procedures and serious fraud.
Department heads of the ministry also accused
On the one hand, it concerns assignments from the Ministry of Sports, for which she would have been commissioned after her political career through illegal price fixing. A department head of the Ministry of Sports is also accused in this fact.
Repayment already in the spring of 2022
The second allegation relates to the continued payment of salary after leaving the ministerial office on December 18, 2017. Karmasin should not have earned anything during the continued payment of salary. The Public Prosecution Service assumes that the former minister also took on odd jobs as a freelancer. According to the WKStA, it concealed the income by not reporting it until after the continued payment had ended. In that context, Sophie Karmasin already repaid 74,141 euros to the Republic in the spring of 2022.
With Karmasin, someone “who should be the supreme role model” failed to live up to this claim. The prosecutor noted that she was “breaking the rules she set for herself”.
Three trial days planned
In addition to today, negotiations are also scheduled for Thursday and May 9. It will be exciting on Thursday when CASAG main witness Sabine Beinschab, who would have made comparative offers for studies by the Ministry of Sport after consultation with the suspect, also takes a seat on the witness stand.
This article is constantly updated.
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.
