Trentino Judge Does Not Want to File Charges Against Benko Yet
According to media reports, the Trentino investigating judge Enrico Borrelli has not granted the prosecutor's request to dismiss the case against Benko.
A hearing behind closed doors is scheduled for February 5, to which the prosecutor, defense attorneys, and defendants are summoned. This marks a new turn of events. On Monday, it became known that the Trento prosecutor's office in Italy had filed a request to "archive" a significant part of the investigations. The investigators had concluded that the original "mafia" allegation was unfounded. The judge has now postponed the final decision until the hearing takes place in February.
According to Benko's lawyer Norbert Wess, it is "not at all unusual" for the investigating judge - in such a high-profile case - to schedule a brief hearing of the parties before complying with the prosecutor's request to "lay down the facts," as he informed APA.
Allegations of 21 individual offenses remain valid
Specifically, investigators had suspected Benko of being the "leader of a mafia-like criminal organization" that was established with the aim of obtaining concessions and permits to generate unjustified profits. The entrepreneur and investor was said to have acted at the head of the criminal organization with the help of Bolzano tax advisor Heinz Peter Hager and an entrepreneur from the city of Rovereto, according to the Italian judicial authorities about a year ago.
For some of the 77 individuals initially investigated for various suspicions, the investigating judge had already drawn a line in the summer. Meanwhile, the prosecutor's office no longer believes that there was a criminal organization. Overall, they intend to file 35 reservations in the case. However, allegations of 21 individual offenses remain valid, it was further stated. Benko is not affected by this, as no individual offenses have been charged against him.
(APA/Red)
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