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Sebastian Kurz. Photo by Reuters
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Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz, who is under investigation, is suspected of using government funds to secure favorable media coverage, the Prosecutor’s Office for Combating Economic Crime and Corruption was quoted as saying by world news agencies.
“Sebastian Kurz and nine other suspects, as well as three organizations, are under investigation for corruption in this case,” the prosecutor’s office said.
The statement was made after a series of searches for which earlier today you we announced. Searches were conducted at Kurz’s party headquarters as well as at the chancellor’s office. According to investigators, there are indications that funds from the finance ministry were used to publish in an Austrian edition “extremely party-politically motivated and sometimes manipulated polls conducted by a sociological company” that were in Kurz’s interest. The publication was paid with this money to publish these polls, presenting Kurz in a favorable light.
The acts in connection with which the searches were carried out are from the period 2016-2018.
The 35-year-old chancellor already has another investigation launched in May by anti-corruption bodies on suspicion of making false statements to a parliamentary committee – something he denies.
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