Former finance minister Karl-Heinz Grasser was acquitted in his tax trial on Monday.
His co-accused tax advisor was also acquitted. “We didn’t take the decision lightly,” Judge Michael Tolstiuk said at the verdict. According to the judge, there was no apparent intent to evade tax. The proceedings had been closed to the public in the Vienna Criminal Court since June 13, because the accused had claimed that the highly personal area of life would become an issue in this trial.
The trial concerned the allegation of tax evasion on the commissions for Grasser’s involvement with Meinl International Power. According to the indictment, Grasser is said to have evaded 2.16 million euros in taxes from a proceeds of 4.38 million euros in Meinl commissions. Grasser and his advisor always denied the allegation. Grasser had already claimed during the interrogations that he had simply signed the documents his tax advisor had presented him with. But the tax consultant has always denied any intention of tax evasion.
The verdict is not yet final, the public prosecutor’s office has not issued a statement, and the representative of the Republic has filed a declaration of nullity.
The appeal process in the Buwog trial, in which Grasser was not legally sentenced to eight years in prison in the first instance, is still open. Other defendants were also convicted in 2020 and have appealed. They are still waiting for a result.
Source: Nachrichten
