The chairman of the completed Ibiza committee of inquiry, Andreas Hanger, located “left cells” there. They would “condense” the rumors about house searches that were already addressed by Vice Secretary General Gabriela Schwarz the previous week. In this context, the WKStA accused Hanger of being “politically motivated”.
Hanger justified the accusation of partisan investigations by the WKStA in a press conference called at short notice with allegations that have been known for weeks. On the one hand, extensive investigations would be conducted against ÖVP Federal Chancellor Sebastian Kurz. On the other hand, the former SPÖ mayor of Vienna, Michael Häupl, will not be investigated, although he obviously gave false testimony to the U-Committee of the municipal council on KH-Nord 2019, Hanger repeated an allegation made before the summer.
In addition, he again pointed out that the chat histories of ÖGB President Wolfgang Katzian were not sent to the U-Committee, although the latter had supported Thomas Schmid’s appointment by ÖBAG. From his point of view, Hanger cited the well-known complaint by the WKStA against the “press” journalist Anna Thalhammer, which was then put aside. And finally he denounced that the WKStA had investigated possible agreements because several witnesses testified that the supervisory board was responsible for the Schmid appointment.
When asked, Hanger emphasized that the allegations were “not an attempt to intimidate” the WKStA and that they were also not directed against the judicial system. Hanger did not specifically respond to the objection that the public prosecutor who investigated Kurz also indicted the former SPÖ mayor of Salzburg, Heinz Schaden, who was then also convicted. But he repeated that he expected the Ministry of Justice to ensure that the WKStA does not apply double standards.
SPÖ justice spokeswoman Selma Yildirim strongly criticized Hanger’s statements. In a broadcast she said that the ÖVP attacks would not only target the WKStA but the entire judiciary. Yildirim states that the ÖVP has “a problem with the rule of law”.
