Pre-trial Detention for Rene Benko Extended Until July

The court continues to assume urgent suspicion and risk of committing an offense, according to a statement on Tuesday. The next detention review hearing will therefore take place no later than July 7. An appeal against the decision can be filed with the Vienna Higher Regional Court within three days. The WKStA and the defense each gave no statement.

Rene Benko remains in pre-trial detention for another two months

Benko was arrested in Innsbruck in January and transferred to the Vienna-Josefstadt prison. Since then, he has been in pre-trial detention, which has already been extended several times. According to the Vienna Regional Criminal Court, the renewed review of the pre-trial detention took place on Tuesday due to a release application by Benko's defense on April 25.

The Economic and Corruption Prosecutor's Office (WKStA) accuses Benko of deceiving investors and harming creditors. The WKStA assumes, among other things, breach of trust and fraudulent bankruptcy - the penal code provides for up to ten years in prison for this. According to the existing suspicion, Benko is said to have attempted to shift or conceal remaining assets despite ongoing insolvency proceedings of his real estate group Signa, which also affect him as a private individual. The WKStA assumes that he continued to act as the "de facto power holder and economic beneficiary" of the Laura Private Foundation.

(APA/Red)

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