The former member of the municipal council, who was among other things the planning spokesman for his parliamentary group, is said to have demanded or accepted payments from well-known real estate companies for a non-profit association he had initiated. In return, the donors are said to have promised themselves advantages in the dedication process.
The Economic and Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (WKStA) accuses Chorherr of abuse of office and bribery, the prominent entrepreneurs provision for abuse of office and bribery in different forms of participation. The co-defendants include the investor Rene Benko, the industrialist Michael Tojner and the real estate developers Erwin Soravia and Günter Kerbler. The club’s supporters have always denied the allegations. Eleven days of negotiations are scheduled to last until December 20th.
Chorherr is said to have received donations to the S2Arch association for bringing about corresponding municipal council resolutions, or he is said to have been promised such donations. The non-profit organization has built two schools, facilities for the disabled and several kindergartens in South Africa. According to the indictment, the real estate projects of depositors were treated “favorably” in return, whereby Chorherr is said to have concealed his financial relationship with the donors. The processes in question took place from 2011 to 2018, when the Greens were also part of the city government.
“Treated projects favorably by depositors”.
According to the WKStA, Chorherr is said to have “treated depositors’ projects favorably”. He is also said to have voted on construction projects in the municipal council, although he “should have refrained from any activity,” as the indictment states. According to the WKStA, all donors should have known that the association S2Arch was under the influence of Chorherr. Chorherr, in turn, is said to have concealed his financial relationship with the donors.
The charges include donations totaling EUR 1.6 million. Companies around Benko and Kerbler are said to have paid 100,000 euros each, Tojner is attributed 56,100 euros, Soravia 15,000 euros. The WKStA has also applied for fines to be imposed under the Association Responsibility Act against a total of 21 associations, including a project company of Erste Group, which was purchased in 2018 and which owns a building in Vienna-Donaustadt.
The negotiations take place in the large courtroom – which was quite cramped. As expected, media interest was enormous on the first day. And not only the accused and their defense lawyers need space. The associations also sent representatives. Part of the rows intended for listeners had been reserved for them.
Today should be dedicated exclusively to the opening speeches. At the beginning, the accused were asked to provide their data. When asked about his job, Chorherr stated: “I’m an employee.” He recently retired from politics and works as a baker in Vienna.
Source: Nachrichten
