Image: APA/GEORG HOCHMUTH
Karmasin is accused of serious fraud and determination of anti-competitive measures. The present negotiation is not yet about her role in the ÖVP survey affair. The pollster Sabine Beinschab is invited as a witness. Their questioning would have been scheduled for April 27th. Beinschab was also on time for the appointment and had waited for hours in front of the main jury courtroom for her hearing, which was then postponed at short notice because Karmasin’s defense attorney was very demanding on previous witnesses in terms of time. The verdicts in the Karmasin trial are scheduled for May 23.
After leaving politics, the ex-minister is said to have unlawfully obtained continued payments by concealing from employees of the Federal Chancellery that she would continue her self-employment after her term as Minister for Family Affairs. The indictment includes 78,589.95 euros.
The second complex of charges relates to three studies for the Ministry of Sports, for which Karmasin was awarded the contract after leaving politics by, according to the indictment, persuading two competitors – including her former employee Sabine Beinschab – to carry out “the content specified by her and with her in advance in terms of content to transmit agreed offers to the clients in order to ensure that Karmasin Research & Identity GmbH, which is attributable to them, would receive the orders” (indictment). In this context, the proceedings against Beinschab were dropped and she was granted leniency witness status by the Economic and Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (WKStA). The proceedings against the second pollster were settled diversionally, according to the WKStA she has already rendered charitable services.
Source: Nachrichten
