Cause Pilnacek: Investigations Against Two Police Officers Dropped

The Economic and Corruption Prosecutor's Office (WKStA) has closed the investigations into abuse of office surrounding the discovery of the body of the former head of the Justice Ministry's department, Christian Pilnacek. As confirmed by the WKStA to the APA, the higher authority as a professional supervisory body also reached the same conclusion. Investigations were conducted against two named police officers on suspicion of abuse of office.

Project Report Sent to Higher Authority

The issue was whether there was any criminally relevant misconduct by the officers during the official actions surrounding the discovery of the body. This included the handover of Pilnacek's belongings to his widow. After extensive investigations, the WKStA, according to the spokesperson, concluded to close the proceedings and sent a corresponding project report to the responsible higher authority.

This authority, in its directive to the WKStA, reached the same conclusion as a professional supervisory body, "albeit through a different assessment of the facts and the resulting different legal reasoning," as the spokesperson explained. As an authority bound by directives, the WKStA is "of course obliged to adopt the assessment and reasoning from the directive of the higher authority," it was stated. The daily newspaper "Kurier" also reported online on Monday about the closure of the investigations. The OStA remained vague regarding the details in its statement to the "Kurier," but emphasized that there was a "unanimous opinion" among all parties involved - the WKStA, the OStA, the Justice Ministry, and the Directive Council - to close the proceedings. Additionally, the OStA referred to the "Kurier" regarding the reasoning for the closure, which will be published in anonymized form in the edict file.

This was preceded by a report from Martin Kreutner, head of the investigation commission appointed by former Justice Minister Alma Zadić (Green Party), which dealt with possible political influence during Pilnacek's tenure as head of the department. The factual presentation was not about the circumstances of Pilnacek's death but about the removal of personal items after the discovery of the body by criminal investigators in his house. Initially, the Krems public prosecutor's office was responsible, but it had transferred the proceedings to the WKStA.

Body of Pilnacek Found Near Krems

Pilnacek's body was found on October 20, 2023, near Krems. The investigations were conducted by the Lower Austria State Criminal Police Office from the police side. The Krems public prosecutor's office ruled out third-party negligence based on an expert opinion. Doubts about this were expressed by former National Council member Peter Pilz. Pilz supported his harsh criticism of the investigations with two forensic reports he commissioned, which were based on the autopsy report from the Krems public prosecutor's investigations. Now, the Vienna Public Prosecutor's Office has ordered the Krems public prosecutor's office to examine the continuation of the investigations into the death of the former head of the department in a corresponding directive.

(APA/Red)

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