Causa false statement “yes-no question” led for a short time

In fact, the judgment against Sebastian Kurz and Bernhard Bonelli should be announced at 10.45 am, but the decision was delayed – it was minutes full of excitement that a legal turning point for the former Chancellor should initiate. The Higher Regional Court (OLG) Vienna did not follow the guilty judgment of the first court. The judgment of the first instance was canceled because of “nullity”, receives a legally binding acquittal.

In short: “Everything has collapsed”
After the judgment, emotional words briefly focus on the media: “I have been confronted with allegations – which was celebrated and has now collapsed.” He deeply regretted the judgment against Bernhard Bonelli. In short, who recently became a father for the second time and announced an explanation for the coming days – now he wants to go home to his family.

In this matter, the former Kanselier can breathe in a sigh of relief. He had claimed his innocence for years – now he is being acquitted. According to the presiding judge Werner Röggla, the central “yes-no question” answered the Öbag correctly. The questioner Stephanie Krisper (Neos) was dissatisfied with the answer, but the question of the question had expired. According to the court, briefly did not give the impression that his answer had remained incomplete this was also shown by the video recordings of the U-Committee.

Röggla concludes that the objective fact of the “false statement of evidence” would not have been fulfilled, and therefore an acquittal had to be taken. False proof of evidence applies if a statement is relevant – as with Bonelli – or voluntarily not saying significant explanations, as was the case with short.

Bonelli’s judgment confirmed
Excabinet chef Bernhard Bonelli (ÖVP) is the loser of the day. The court saw it as proven that he had misunderstood the Öbag under the committee. He knew that Sebastian Kurz preferred the manager Siegfried Wolf as a supervisory board – this has emerged from Chats and his own statement in the main session. Bonelli’s lawyer argued with a statement, but the Senate with three judges rejected this: such a gap in the memory was “not credible”. The knowledge of Wolf’s favorite role was consistently available.

The process was fairly quickly with almost three hours. The first judgment was first read, the defense then brought his reasons for the profession. The role of the judge Michael Radasztics played the role of the first instance judgment.

The defense said he had given the bias because he had passed on information to Peter Pilz and was therefore sentenced to a disciplinary fine. These are professional relationships and have no influence on the appearance of bias. There has been no contact between mushroom and Radasztics for four years, no personal relationships.

ÖVP is happy with acquittal
The ÖVP was satisfied with the acquittal. Party leader and Chancellor Christian Stocker said after the verdict: “After a very long process, it turned out that the allegations were wrongly accepted. I am happy for Sebastian Kurz.” ÖVP General Secretary Nico Marchetti was also satisfied: “We have always believed in the innocence of Sebastian Kurz. It is good that the court is eventually convinced that Sebastian Kurz was not too iggered.”

Research against Short continues
For the time being it is time to breathe a sigh of exemption, but it is still not over with judicial agreements: further investigation in the ÖVP advertisement affair-in-Sinds 2021. After these allegations (keyword: Legshab tool) in October 2021 had switched and switched to the National Council as a club chef, in December.

The claim here is that tax money from ministries led by ÖVP says that they have been paid and placed in the media, from which Kurz and the ÖVP would have benefited. The former Chancellor denies the allegations. Of course the suspicion of innocence applies to him.