Fraudulent Bankruptcy: René Benko Sentenced to Two Years in Prison
While he was acquitted in the case concerning an advance payment of rent and operating costs amounting to 360,000 euros, he was found guilty regarding a 300,000-euro gift to his mother. The verdict is not legally binding.
The Economic and Corruption Prosecutor's Office (WKStA) assumed that Benko intended to withhold money from his creditors in light of his impending insolvency with the advance rent payment for the "in need of renovation, uninhabitable" villa high above Innsbruck. However, the jury chaired by Judge Andrea Wegscheider could not determine from the witness statements that the apartment was uninhabitable. The rent paid, amounting to 7,500 euros monthly, was "certainly not excessive" considering the rental prices in Innsbruck.
Benko Found Guilty in Second Part of the Indictment
In the second part of the indictment, Benko was found guilty. According to the WKStA, Benko received 1.5 million euros from his mother from a loan from the Laura Private Foundation. Shortly thereafter, he transferred 300,000 euros back, followed by another payment from the mother to her son in the millions. For the judge, only one thing counted in view of the events surrounding the foundations and Benko's insolvency: "Benko received a gift from his mother and then transferred it back without legal grounds. Everything that follows is irrelevant."
Since the damage amount is now 300,000 euros, a lower penalty range applies. It was only "one cent too little" to fall into the higher category, she mentioned as an aggravating circumstance. Up to 300,000 euros, the penalty range is six months to six years, but above that, it is up to ten years. The detention Benko has already suffered - he has been in pre-trial detention in Vienna since January 23, 2025 - will be credited to him as a mitigating factor.
Benko himself listened to the verdict announcement, sitting composed on the edge of the large jury courtroom, but a certain emotional strain could not be hidden. His lawyer Norbert Wess, after a brief conversation with his client, stated that he did not want to make a statement for the time being. Thus, the verdict is not legally binding.
"Unsurpassed in Cynicism"
The senior prosecutor of the Economic and Corruption Prosecutor's Office (WKStA) pleaded for a "punishment appropriate to the act and guilt" or a conviction in the trial. Defense lawyer Norbert Wess, on the other hand, pleaded for an acquittal. Benko himself also pleaded "not guilty." Furthermore, he did not want to answer any questions but referred to a counterstatement submitted to the court with his lawyers last week. There, "everything was meticulously and in detail worked out." Even though he did not want to answer further questions, he noted that for him, the statements of the WKStA were "unsurpassed in cynicism."
(APA/Red)
This article has been automatically translated, read the original article here.