ÖVP Club Chairman Wöginger in Court in Linz from October 7
The start is on October 7, followed by ten more days of hearings. According to the indictment, ÖVP parliamentary group leader Wöginger is said to have intervened with the former chief of staff of the Ministry of Finance, Thomas Schmid, to secure the appointment of an Upper Austrian ÖVP mayor as head of the tax office for Braunau, Ried, and Schärding.
ÖVP Parliamentary Group Leader Wöginger Accused as "Instigator"
The ÖVP parliamentary group leader is listed by the prosecuting Economic and Corruption Prosecutor's Office (WKStA) as an instigator. The co-defendants are said to have ranked the candidate "at the top for party-political reasons, although he was allegedly less suitable compared to the other candidates," it continues. After the interrogation of the accused, the questioning of 31 witnesses will begin from the third day of the trial on October 21, 2025. A verdict is planned for November 20, according to the Linz Regional Court.
The alleged intervention is said to have occurred in 2017, when Wöginger was already a member of the National Council. The case is part of the extensive file on Casinos Austria, triggered by the Ibiza scandal. Investigators rely, among other things, on chats in which Schmid wrote to Wöginger: "We did it (...) The mayor owes you one!" Wöginger found that "really great." The ÖVP politician is also incriminated by a former employee of the Ministry of Finance.
Wöginger is allegedly at the beginning of a so-called chain of instigation. Specifically, the later preferred candidate is said to have approached him as a party friend and asked for his support in obtaining the position of head of the tax office. Wöginger, in turn, is said to have then approached Schmid.
Schmid Listed as Key Witness in Trial Against Wöginger
Schmid, who is now listed as a key witness, is said to have then influenced one of the two co-defendant officials of the Ministry of Finance to achieve the desired ranking, according to the WKStA's accusation. The other - high-ranking - official, who was politically close to Wöginger and the candidate, is said to have participated in the unlawful appointment as chairman of the evaluation commission on his own initiative.
The ÖVP parliamentary group leader has always maintained his innocence in the case. "I have always said: Of course, I was pleased that someone from my region got the position. And I have always considered him a qualified, impeccable, and suitable candidate for this position," he said in a written statement in response to an APA inquiry when the indictment became known. However, he "at no time influenced the independent commission."
(APA/Red)
This article has been automatically translated, read the original article here.