This is the reason for his contradictory statements.
In the conversation, Kurz asked Schmid several times how they figured out that he was involved in the survey affair. And Schmid explained to him roughly the cooperation with pollster Sabine Beinschab. Just two days after Kurz presented the recording, Schmid was questioned by the WKStA. Schmid stated that at the time of the phone call he had assumed that the authorities were monitoring the telephone. “Although we deliberately only made calls and chatted via Signal or WhatsApp, nobody knew whether this could also be monitored,” says Schmid, according to the prosecutor’s report, which is available to the APA and several other media.
Schmid: Had the impression that Kurz could record it
Schmid also told the WKStA that in the first few minutes of the call he had the impression that Kurz could record the call. He assumed that it was a “defense speech” by Kurz for the prosecutor who might be monitoring it or for his own recording.
He then tried to dodge, downplay things, said Schmid. The prosecutors then wanted to know from Schmid why he had not made it clear that Kurz was involved. Schmid justified his evasive answers with the “extreme pressure situation” and the suspected surveillance. “So such an answer would not have been considered at the time because it would have contradicted the common line of defense,” says Schmid.
Schmid also emphasized again to the WKStA that Kurz called him immediately after the house searches – including at the ÖVP – at the beginning of October. Kurz told him at the time that he, Schmid, had to take the blame – and also dictated a corresponding text to him.
He told Kurz that he had to think about it. His lawyer had strongly advised him not to do so, according to Schmid. Kurz then tried to call him several times – via the Signal messenger service. But he didn’t call back, according to Schmid.
A spokesman for Kurz saw Schmid’s statements to APA as evidence that Schmid’s fabricated claims were continuing to collapse. It has now been proven that Schmid concealed the phone call with Kurz from the WKStA in his key witness statement. Its content brought Schmid “massive distress” and contradicted “his claims before the WKStA diametrically”. “The attempt to pull his head out of this noose will fail,” said Kurz’s spokesman.
As the “Standard” reports, Kurz should now be questioned again. The WKStA asked his lawyer for a “prompt” appointment, but he replied that Kurz would not be available until the end of November. November 28 has now been set as the date for questioning the ex-chancellor. It should not only be about the explosive Schmid phone call, but also about the suspicion of false evidence. This line of investigation against Kurz and his former head of cabinet Bernhard Bonelli is likely to be completed.
There are also investigative results from the WKStA on another allegation by Schmid, according to which Kurz’s partner received an unjustified salary increase and bonus payments as an employee in the Ministry of Finance. In a memorandum, the investigators found that all employees received the same bonus payments. The WKStA could not derive a salary increase from the data.
Source: Nachrichten
