Money for city politicians?
Benko charged with bribery
11/08/2022 3:13 p.m
In Vienna, the process starts with a major bribery scandal in which department store investor Benko is said to be involved. The focus is on a former Green Party politician. This is said to have enabled real estate projects from a total of nine companies – in return for generous donations.
At the beginning of a bribery process against department store investor René Benko and other real estate entrepreneurs in Vienna, the public prosecutor demanded a signal against political corruption. “High court, send a signal. Show that the fight against corruption is not pointless,” said the prosecutor in the district court. He indirectly referred to the numerous corruption investigations against top Austrian politicians, which recently made the headlines.
The former green city politician Christoph Chorherr is at the center of the process. According to the indictment, he is said to have accepted a total of around 1.6 million euros in donations for his non-profit association from nine entrepreneurs and, in return, supported their real estate projects. All of the suspects have denied the allegations.
Chorherr is accused of abuse of office and bribery, and entrepreneurs are accused of inciting abuse of office and bribery. If convicted, penalties range from one to ten years in prison. The association, headed by Chorherr, finances school projects in South Africa. The formerly influential municipal council and urban planning spokesman for the Greens held out his hand for donations, the prosecutor said. He argued that the real estate projects of the nine entrepreneurs who were also accused would not have come about without Chorherr’s support. According to the indictment, companies from Benko’s Signa Group donated around 100,000 euros.