Former conservative Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz was found guilty of perjury on Friday after a trial accused him of lying to a parliamentary committee while in office. Mr Kurz, the first chancellor on the bench in more than thirty years, denied he had “knowingly” misled MPs when they questioned him in 2020 about his role in the appointment of a relative, Thomas Schmid, as president. Head of a very powerful public holding company.
“Sebastian Kurz is guilty,” declared the judge in Vienna and sentenced him to eight months in prison at the request of the public prosecutor who initiated the prosecution. In Austria, interfering in an appeal process is not a crime in itself, but concealing the truth under oath is.
Also read | Article reserved for our subscribers Sebastian Kurz: Behind the scenes of the fall of the Austrian Chancellor
Complete your selection
“A short system”
The witnesses invited – around ten in total, including former ministers – predominantly defended his presentation of the facts. With the exception of the protagonist of the case: Thomas Schmid, the ex-boyfriend, who is now cooperating with the justice system in the hope of a reduced sentence. He overwhelmed him during a two-day hearing and invoked “a short-cut system” by saying he was happy to intervene in appointments.
To discredit him, Mr. Kurz called on two Russian businessmen and the final day of the trial began with the testimony of the second of them, who spoke by video from the Austrian embassy in Moscow.
In addition to this trial, the former chancellor is suspected of misappropriating public funds to commission manipulated opinion polls and ensure laudatory tabloid coverage during his meteoric rise to power. The investigation into this corruption aspect is still ongoing.
Also read | Article reserved for our subscribers After ten years of turbulent political career, former Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz is throwing in the towel
Complete your selection