Image: APA/ROLAND SCHLAGER
With Karmasin, a confidante of ex-Chancellor Sebastian Kurz is now on trial for the first time, investigations against other former VP politicians are still ongoing. The trial is scheduled for three days, and a verdict is expected on May 9th. The judge responsible, Patrick Aulebauer, specializes in drug-related offenses and was assigned the Karmasin file because the economics department in the Gray House is overloaded.
78,589.95 euros
The trial is not about Karmasin’s role in the VP survey affair, for which she was also in custody. In this process, the former minister has to explain why she illegally received a continued payment of 78,589.95 euros after leaving office. Karmasin immediately returned to her previous job as a pollster after leaving the ministerial post, so she was not entitled to the money. Before the lawsuit was filed, Karmasin refunded most of the money. The economic and corruption prosecutor sees no active remorse in this, since the repayment was made too late.
The second indictment includes three studies for the Ministry of Sports, for which Karmasin was awarded the contract. She is said to have discussed the offers with two competitors, one of them her former employee Sabine Beinschab. You face up to three years in prison.
Source: Nachrichten
