Private chats would have “no place in the public eye”. The legal situation should be adjusted, she said Tuesday in the ORF “Report”.
The picture that was drawn with the recently published chats was “indeed devastating – and that is not true,” noted Edtstadler. It is important to consider how these chats got to the public. With the publication of cell phone evaluations, people were repeatedly pilloried before it was even decided whether there would be criminal proceedings.
Edtstadler sees a need for negotiation to extend the leniency program – which will expire at the end of the year. They “think that there will be a solution”, but “whether and how this is to be continued is left to the negotiations”.
“Let the judiciary investigate in peace”
When asked about the sometimes very sharp VP criticism of the economic and corruption prosecutor’s office, the minister was relatively cautious. She only said that she “shares the view that there is a great deal at the moment that is not conducive to the reputation of the judiciary”. She is therefore in favor of letting the judiciary investigate in peace – and the judiciary must do everything possible to ensure that the investigation is carried out quickly in order to quickly clear up the serious allegations.
Edtstadler “as a former judge” did not want to “pretend” to assess whether the accusations of the WKStA against ex-Chancellor Sebastian Kurz are false – as Neo-Chancellor Alexander Schallenberg has announced.
