The former leader of the Austrian far right, who fell out of favor two years ago, was sentenced today by the Vienna Regional Court to 15 months in prison with a suspension in a corruption case linked to the Ibizagate scandal.
Heinz-Christian Strache suspected that worked to favor one of his relatives in exchange for donations to his party and free holidays in Greece. Based on the charges against him, he risked being sentenced to up to 5 years in prison.
«The chronological sequence of events leaves no doubtJudge Claudia Moravec-Lloydold said at the end of the trial.
“The advantages that were accepted (by the accused) are indisputable,” prosecutor Bernhard Veratsnich had argued a little earlier, facing 52-year-old Strache, who was wearing a dark suit and a burgundy tie. The prosecutor stressed that those who take public office must remain above any suspicion.
During the hearing, which took place over four days in early July, before being repeated this week, Strache systematically denied any wrongdoing.
“I have never accepted any grace in my life, I acted out of conviction“, He underlined.
In May 2019, the former president of the powerful far-right Freedom Party (FPO) and vice-chancellor saw a video leaked to the press two years earlier on the Spanish island of Ibiza leaked to the press.
The video was shot with a hidden camera and Strache is depicted in it offering public contracts to a woman, who appears as the niece of a Russian oligarch, in exchange for electoral support.
“Serious offense”
The video caused a stir, the dissolution of the FPO coalition with Chancellor Sebastian Kurtz’s conservatives and early elections in Austria. On the judicial front, the incident resulted in the launch of investigations against influential officials.
In this context, Strache’s mobile phone was confiscated and the investigators discovered incriminating text messages in it.
According to the indictment, the far-right leader intervened to amend the law so that a private clinic could join the social security system. Legislation was eventually amended when the far right came to power, allowing the clinic to benefit from public funds.
In return, the owner of this clinic, Walter Grubmiller, allegedly invited Strache to Greece and paid 10,000 euros to his party. He was sentenced to 12 months suspended imprisonment.
This is “a serious offense, not a trifle,” according to the prosecutor. During the trial, a second “gift” to the FPO of 2,000 euros came to the surface.
Heinz-Christian Strache denies that he had traveled to Corfu after becoming vice chancellor and assures that he did not know in advance about the payment of such amounts.
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