Benko Indictment is Final

The WKStA accuses Benko of concealing assets during the insolvency of his corporate network, which harmed creditors. He is alleged to have transferred assets to the control of his mother, Ingeborg Benko, or to companies and foundations from which he benefited. The charges include an unjustifiable advance payment of 360,000 euros for a house in Innsbruck and a donation of 300,000 euros. The total damage amounts to 660,000 euros. If convicted, Benko faces a prison sentence of one to ten years.

No Trial Dates Yet After Final Benko Indictment

When the trial will take place is still open for now. No trial dates have been set, according to the court. In any case, the proceedings could not take place in Benko's hometown of Innsbruck. This is because the 48-year-old's lawyer, Norbert Wess, has now requested that any main hearing be held not in Innsbruck, but in Vienna, as "Der Standard" reported on Thursday. A spokeswoman for the Supreme Court (OGH) confirmed this to the newspaper. Such a step requires important reasons according to the Code of Criminal Procedure. These would be present, for example, if the accused is detained in another court district or if witnesses are located in the other district. The fact is: Benko is currently in pre-trial detention in Vienna, and several of the requested witnesses would come from the federal capital, according to the report. A three-judge panel of the OGH must now decide on the defense's request for delegation.

Benko Indictment Only a Partial Aspect of the Overall Case

The indictment is only a partial aspect of the very extensive Signa case, in which the WKStA is currently investigating 13 different strands of facts. In addition to fraudulent bankruptcy, the allegations include breach of trust, serious fraud, creditor favoritism, and subsidy fraud. It is targeting more than a dozen accused individuals as well as two associations. The total damage under investigation currently amounts to around 300 million euros, according to the WKStA.

(APA/Red)

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