On Friday, the court in Vienna announced that former Austrian chancellor, Sebastian Kurz, had been handed a suspended sentence of eight months in prison. The charges against Kurz relate to him providing false testimony.
The court, in its verdict explanation, asserted that Kurz had lied to a parliamentary committee that was responsible for an investigation. His falsified statements, as the court held, were made in an attempt to mislead the committee.
It was further elaborated that evidence indicated Kurz had a significantly greater role in the appointment of the supervisory board of Öbag, a state holding company, than he initially confessed to the parliamentary committee. This committee was looking into the details of the Ibiza affair.
Kurz, who held the position of chancellor from 2017 to 2019 and again from 2020 to 2021, had previously informed the board in 2020 that he was cognizant of the events but did not actively participate or intervene.
In relation to the appointment of Thomas Schmid, a former associate of Kurz, as the head of Öbag, the court acquitted Kurz of perjury charges. This particular decision implies that the court didn’t find substantial evidence to prove Kurz lied under oath regarding Schmid’s appointment.
Kurz, who is 37 years old, has consistently maintained his innocence throughout the legal proceedings. Following his departure from politics at the conclusion of 2021, he turned his focus towards entrepreneurship.
During his political career, Kurz led the coalition of the conservative ÖVP party and the far-right Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ) from 2017 to 2019. Subsequently, he was at the helm of the ÖVP-Greens alliance from 2020 to 2021.
Kurz is also facing another trial in relation to an alleged advertising scandal. In this case, Kurz and his team are accused of commissioning fake polls and using taxpayers’ money to fund them.
In addition to the fake polls, his team is also accused of advertising in various media outlets in an attempt to garner favorable coverage. An ongoing investigation is currently being conducted against ten suspects for alleged criminal acts, including bribery, corruption, and embezzlement.
