A total of eleven people will have to answer before a jury.

The WKStA had been investigating the case since 2017. The real estate development company Wienwert became insolvent in 2018. More than 1,800 investors who had subscribed to the company's bonds were harmed. The incriminated damage: around 41 million euros. According to the indictment available to the APA, nearly 23 million of this falls into the time of Gruze's predecessors Nikos Bakirzoglu and Wolfgang Sedelmayer.

Mahrer Accused of Contribution to Breach of Trust

In addition to the Wienwert managers, the district head of Donaustadt Nevrivy, and the Mahrer couple, two lawyers, an auditor, and an investor were charged. The charges include breach of trust, serious fraud, fraudulent bankruptcy, falsification of accounts, bribery, and violation of official secrecy.

Mahrer and his wife are accused of contributing to breach of trust. The PR consulting company run by Mahrer's wife allegedly received a total of 84,000 from Wienwert over a period of seven months without providing corresponding services. Mahrer, who was then the deputy police president of Vienna and later an ÖVP member of the National Council, had no legal relationship with the company, but in connection with the payments from Wienwert, he repeatedly appeared for the PR agency.

"Allegations Against the Mahrer Couple Will Be Able to Be Refuted Before an Independent Court"

For Mahrer's defense lawyer, Manfred Ainedter, it is clear that Mahrer and his wife did indeed provide services for Wienwert. "The original allegations of the WKStA were quickly rearranged in the indictment. While the prosecutor initially assumed that Christine Mahrer had independently concluded the contract with Gruze orally and issued an invoice 'in agreement' with Karl Mahrer, it is now claimed that the Mahrer couple actively 'encouraged and determined' Gruze to conclude the contract. When, where, and how this is supposed to have happened, the WKStA fails to specify," he explained in a statement.

According to Ainedter, the judge who will lead the trial, Michael Radasztics, also provides "additional tension." About a year ago, he sentenced former Chancellor Sebastian Kurz in the first instance in the perjury trial. After the verdict, he made headlines when it became known that he had received a disciplinary penalty as a prosecutor for misconduct in the Eurofighter case. Stefan Gruze's lawyer, Norbert Wess, was temporarily Radasztics' defense attorney. Ainedter represented former Finance Minister Karl-Heinz Grasser in the disciplinary proceedings against Radasztics. "The allegations against the Mahrer couple will be able to be refuted before an independent court," Ainedter is convinced. Whether there is "at least the appearance of bias" in this case remains to be examined.

Nevrivy is alleged to have revealed the planned location for a depot expansion to the Wienwert board in advance, after which the board acquired the property and the Wiener Linien had to buy it back at a much higher price. This caused the city of Vienna a damage of around 850,000 euros, the WKStA announced in a statement on Thursday afternoon. In return, he is said to have received several VIP tickets for the Vienna football derby and national team games from the real estate company. Additionally, around 36,000 euros were improperly given to a music group from his home district.

Gudenus and Tschank: Diversion Offers

Diversion offers were received by FPÖ National Council member Markus Tschank and former blue Vienna Deputy Mayor Johann Gudenus. The latter had asked the accused Wienwert board member for a donation to the non-operational FPÖ-affiliated association "Economy for Austria." At that time, Tschank was the chairman, who made a corresponding donation request. The subsequent contribution of 10,000 euros is considered by the public prosecutor's office as an undeclared party donation. Both defendants took responsibility, and the diversion procedure is still open.

Specifically, those responsible for the Wienwert Group are said to have offered over the years to invest in real estate development and promised investors considerable returns. Bonds were advertised, among other things, in television spots to a wide audience and were portrayed as particularly trustworthy due to an alleged proximity to the city of Vienna. Investors were thus supposed to be enticed into making corresponding investments, even though the corporate group was already insolvent, according to the public prosecutor's office.

Furthermore, Gruze is said to have sold Wienwert properties to third parties well below value, causing millions in damages. He is also said to have granted loans to companies within the group, even though they were already insolvent.

Lawyer of Former Wienwert Chief Pointed Out Long Duration of Proceedings

Gruze's legal representative, Norbert Wess, pointed out the long duration of the proceedings in a statement. His client had always been available to the law enforcement authorities over the eight years and had always behaved cooperatively, "as well as contributed extensively to clarifying the facts." This also applies to the cooperation with the insolvency administrator of the Wienwert Group.

Furthermore, Gruze contributed to reducing the damage for the corporate group and its investors. "We are very confident that no serious criminal charges can be maintained against Mr. Stefan Gruze," Wess is quoted in the statement. Gruze had only been active as a restructuring board member for one and a half years and had nothing to do with the company before that.

Also co-accused of fraudulent bankruptcy is entrepreneur Klemens Hallmann. He is said to have offered Gruze the shares in Kaufhaus Wiener Straße 6-8 Projektentwicklung GmbH for sale, knowing about Wienwert's financial distress, and dictated disadvantageous contract terms for Wienwert AG. As a result, creditors are said to have suffered damages of nearly four million euros.

(APA/Red)

This article has been automatically translated, read the original article here.