Ösi affair: According to a media report, pollster arrested – politics abroad

by time news

New developments in the Austrian corruption affair!

In the corruption proceedings surrounding the conservative ÖVP and the Austrian ex-Chancellor Sebastian Kurz, a pollster was arrested.

A corresponding report by the newspaper “Der Standard” was confirmed to the Austrian news agency APA by lawyers and government circles.

The accusation: The public prosecutor suspects the pollster to have played a central role in the creation of embellished surveys for the benefit of the ÖVP, which were then placed in the media. Tax money is said to have been embezzled for this.

The reason for the arrest is said to be a risk of blackout – i.e. the risk that evidence could be destroyed, changed or influenced. The accused is said to have erased the hard drive of her computer shortly before a house search on October 6th.

The Economic and Corruption Public Prosecutor’s Office (WKStA) did not confirm the process. She stated that she was not allowed to answer inquiries about specific investigative measures in ongoing investigative proceedings. The suspect’s lawyer was initially unavailable.

That is the background

The public prosecutor’s office is investigating ex-Chancellor Sebastian Kurz and nine other suspects for possible breach of trust, bribery and corruption. Kurz’s team is said to have organized the 35-year-old’s ascent in the party and government through collaboration with a media company and used tax money for it. Kurz and the media house vehemently deny the allegations.

Kurz resigned on Saturday evening under pressure from corruption investigations against him. He justified his resignation with an otherwise impending “stalemate” that the green coalition partner had brought about. The Greens had deliberately turned away from him, criticized Kurz. The new Austrian Chancellor Alexander Schallenberg has announced a continuation of the course set by his predecessor.

Schallenberg is one of Kurz’s closest circle. Both have a number of common substantive positions in common – above all in migration policy and in their attitude towards Turkey. The new Chancellor also supported his predecessor with regard to the allegations of corruption.

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