Former conservative Chancellor Sebastian Kurz (ÖVP) has been charged with perjury following allegations that he may have been lying to a parliamentary investigation panel in a corruption affair over the appointments to state holding company ÖBAG, according to Euractiv.
ÖBAG, the Austrian state holding and the country’s closest thing to a sovereign wealth fund, is worth upwards of €30 billion. When it was time to select the person for the top post, the chairman of the board, a party loyalist named Thomas Schmid, was chosen – at the behest of then-chancellor Kurz, confiscated chats show.
In 2020, Kurz appeared before a parliamentary inquiry looking into the corruption associated with the Ibiza scandal, where far-right Vice Chancellor Christian Strache offered government contracts in exchange for party donations to the supposed niece of a Russian oligarch.
He was brought in to shine some light on the party loyalist’s promotion to head of the board. Asked about his involvement, Kurz denied having played a role while under an obligation to be truthful. However, WKStA, the public prosecutor’s office dealing with corruption matters, found the former chancellor had lied, the charges filed by the office on 18 August state.
According to the charges, Kurz had said he had not been directly involved in selecting candidates for the position despite evidence to the contrary.
“The accusations are false, and we look forward to when the truth finally comes to light, and the accusations also prove to be baseless in court,” Kurz said in response.
Meanwhile, opposition parties hope that the trial will restore faith in the country’s institutions.
“Through a speedy process, we can restore confidence in politics,” a spokesperson speaking on behalf of the liberal NEOS party said.
While Kurz marks the first former chancellor to have been charged in the past 30 years, the case could play a key role for his former conservative party in the run-up to next year’s election.
