After ex-Chancellor Sebastian Kurz (VP), his head of cabinet Bernhard Bonelli (40) spoke yesterday on the third day of the false statement trial at the Vienna Criminal Regional Court. The former management consultant first described to judge Michael Radasztics how he became friends with Kurz and how he became his closest colleague from 2017 onwards.
The Economic and Corruption Public Prosecutor’s Office (WKStA) accuses Bonelli of deliberately downplaying his role in the Ibiza investigative committee in the composition of the supervisory board (AR) of the state holding company ÖBAG, which was supposed to elect Thomas Schmid as its sole director. Numerous chats and Schmid’s statement would contradict this.
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Bonelli stuck to his statement that the AR composition was decided solely by Finance Minister Hartwig Löger (VP). Incidentally, Schmid said the same thing in the U-Committee, which, unlike him, was not prosecuted. “I just can’t figure out why this could be possible in a constitutional state,” said Bonelli, who also added a possible “motive.” In an internal VP position paper on the Federal Public Prosecutor’s Office, which became public, he suggested “dismantling the WKStA”. That “certainly didn’t meet with any approval there.”
The judge confronted Bonelli with chats in which he accused Schmid of “dilettantism” and of having given the impression of interfering with ÖBAG personnel. Bonelli’s explanation: Just the day before the planned constitutive AR meeting in February 2019, a candidate dropped out. Afterwards he only took part in “brainstorming”.
The investor Siegfried Wolf, who was brought into play by Kurz as AR chairman, ultimately did not get a chance because Löger and Schmid were against it. For Bonelli this is evidence that at ÖBAG the decisions were made in the Ministry of Finance.
Unlike in the U-Committee, Bonelli’s memory gap closed yesterday when it came to the question of how Helmut Kern could have become chairman of the supervisory board. It was “already possible” that Löger recommended the head of the Brothers of Mercy Hospital, said Bonelli.
Like Kurz, Bonelli also questioned Thomas Schmid’s integrity. He was always only interested in his own advancement; he was “certainly not a big friend” of him. There was also a scolding for the U-Committee (“a minefield”) and the WKStA, whose questions Bonelli, like his former chancellor before him, did not answer. The trial continues on November 17th.
Process roadmap
After three days of negotiations in October, there is now a break until Friday, November 17th. Judge Michael Radasztics called the first witnesses for this day. In this first round, ex-ÖBAG boss Thomas Schmid, ex-finance ministers Hartwig Löger and Gernot Blümel (both VP) and ex-ÖBB CFO Arnold Schiefer will be included. Former FP boss Heinz-Christian Strache and investor Siegfried Wolf will follow later.
It will continue on December 11th, 15th and 18th. It is becoming increasingly clear that no more judgment can be expected this year.
