How Austria invites money laundering

In the Republic, foreigners who want to launder their black money have little to fear. Victims are left with the damage. A case with roots in Russia provides deep insights into a systemic error with fatal consequences.

Vienna. It sounds like a classic business crime story: a board chairman undermines a company in Russia through criminal machinations and then transfers the millions to Austria. By purchasing a luxury property in Vienna and cleverly selling it via a straw man, the money is clean. To outsiders, this may seem like a clear case of money laundering. But the authorities in Austria have a different view.

Gregor Müller, a lawyer in Germany and Russia who advises the injured victim from Moscow, considers this to be “incomprehensible”. The law firm Paulitsch Law represents the investigation into suspected money laundering in Austria. Ultimately, the injured party will only see some of their money back if they join the proceedings in Austria as a private party, because after all, this is where the money is.