Grasser Trial: Start of the Second Day of Proceedings in Vienna

The former Finance Minister Karl-Heinz Grasser, who was sentenced to eight years in prison, not yet legally binding, did not want to comment to journalists before the start of the hearing. Today, the defense attorneys will have the floor once again at the beginning, followed by the General Prosecutor's Office and the private parties involved.

Vienna/Linz. The accused themselves can also make a statement - it is not yet certain whether former Finance Minister Grasser will speak. Four days have been scheduled for the proceedings at the OGH. Grasser's lawyer, Manfred Ainedter, expects a decision from the OGH next Monday.

Grasser's Lawyer Expects OGH Decision on Monday

Since yesterday, Thursday, the five-member OGH Senate, chaired by Judge Christa Hetlinger, has been dealing with the nullity complaints and criminal appeals of those not yet legally convicted. In addition to Grasser, former FPÖ General Secretary Walter Meischberger and lobbyist Peter Hochegger were also not yet legally convicted in the criminal proceedings under Judge Marion Hohenecker, and they have also appealed to the OGH. The decision of the Supreme Court can range from overturning the verdict of the jury court from 2020 to a full confirmation.

The hearing at the OGH is the (provisional) conclusion to a real estate deal that has occupied the Republic for 21 years. At that time, around 60,000 federal apartments were sold for 961 million euros to a consortium around Immofinanz, with the losing bidder CA Immo having offered just 1 million euros less for the apartments. It emerged a few years later that this privatization might have been manipulated when it became known that two of Grasser's friends - Meischberger and Hochegger - had pocketed 9.6 million euros in commission from the Immofinanz deal. The question then was: Did Grasser tell his friends, who advised Immofinanz, how high the bid needed to be to win the contract, thereby damaging the Republic? The former Finance Minister denies this to this day.

(APA/Red)

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