The Austrian Central Public Prosecutor’s Office for Economic and Corruption Offences (WKStA) is currently conducting a review to determine whether former Chancellor Sebastian Kurz will be brought to court over allegations of making false statements during the Ibiza U Committee proceedings. The eagerly awaited decision has taken shape following a recent report by “Kurier,” confirming that the WKStA has received a directive from the Ministry of Justice outlining the intended course of action.
The WKStA is presently engaged in a thorough examination of the circumstances and is anticipated to make an announcement regarding the outcome in the near future, although only after communicating the decision to Kurz.
This process has evolved over several months. In June, the instruction council, responsible for advising the minister, expressed general agreement with the WKStA’s proposed actions but still raised legal concerns. The matter was subsequently circulated among the WKStA, senior public prosecutor’s office, and the ministry, culminating in a final determination reached in mid-July. This decision hinged on whether Kurz would face charges or if the proceedings would be halted altogether. The specific timeframe for the formal release of WKStA’s verdict remains uncertain.
The allegations center on Kurz’s purported misrepresentations linked to his role in the transition of the state holding company ÖBIB into ÖBAG during his tenure as the head of the ÖVP party. Kurz’s testimony during the Ibiza U Committee in June 2020 minimized his influence in selecting the supervisory board and appointing the former ÖBAG head, Thomas Schmid. He depicted these actions as routine procedures. Nevertheless, the WKStA raised doubts about the accuracy of these claims, particularly when considering chat records and potential inconsistencies.
The crux of the matter revolves around the veracity of Kurz’s statements concerning his extent of involvement in the restructuring of ÖBAG. The WKStA’s investigation pivots on scrutinizing the alignment between Kurz’s assertions and concrete evidence, primarily the chat records. The impending verdict from the WKStA carries profound ramifications for Kurz’s legal standing and his future in the political arena.