Some of the former players from clubs in Vienna, Lower Austria and Burgenland will mostly answer for themselves, the defenders announced. The hearing is scheduled for a total of five days. Of the 15 accused, mostly players, only twelve sat down in front of judge Erik Nauta and the lay judges on Monday. One went into hiding abroad weeks ago, one had objected to the prosecution and one accused did not show up because he had received official instructions to “immediately leave Austria” just days before the trial. Incidentally, the trial is taking place in a room on the grounds of Messe Graz due to the renovation work in the jury courtroom of the criminal court.
“Crushing Evidence”
For public prosecutor Hansjörg Bacher, the comprehensive investigation into the 19 games mentioned in the indictment led to an “overwhelming burden of proof”. The accused committed partly serious commercial fraud and partly serious fraud by manipulating games and betting on them. Among the accused are men who were not on the field themselves but were active as signal givers in the auditorium: “When he put on the cap, it was the sign that the bets were placed,” explained Bacher.
According to the prosecutor’s calculations, the damage amounts to almost 200,000 euros, with 88,000 euros being assessed as attempted fraud. In Austria it is “probably the largest, organized and known manipulation in football since 2013”. The games took place between March 2019 and November 2021 primarily in the Regionalliga Ost. But also games in the Vienna League and the Burgenland League as well as an ÖFB Cup game and a friendly game are listed in the indictment. But it’s just “the tip of the iceberg,” Bacher said. Meanwhile, further investigations are ongoing.
Criticism of the charge and the amount of damage
The betting providers, who had to pay out the profits achieved through manipulation, were deceived in particular. But for Bacher there are also other victims of fraud: “The teammates tore their knuckles off and the goalkeeper then lets them in. They may have lost points bonuses as a result. Then there are the fans, who are often volunteer officials and sponsors – as they have to who feel?” asked the prosecutor in the opening statement. He is convinced that the accused will be shown the “red card” at the end of the process.
Already during the investigation, some of the accused had confessed extensively and also contributed to the clarification with their statements. Most of the accused also want to plead guilty in the proceedings, the defense lawyers announced in their introductory words. However, there was criticism of the indictment and the amount of damage determined therein. The defenders also put the scope of the fraud into perspective: “It’s far from a big betting scandal,” said one of the lawyers.
After the lunch break, the first defendants should have their say. The questioning of all suspects could last until Wednesday. The first witnesses should not be heard until next week.
Source: Nachrichten
