Benko in court in Innsbruck: fraud allegation over five million euros
René Benko is appearing before the Innsbruck Regional Court on Wednesday and Thursday facing charges of serious fraud and fraudulent insolvency. The amount of alleged damage is approximately five million euros.
Serious fraud and insolvency: Benko in court in Innsbruck again
René Benko must answer charges before the Innsbruck Regional Court on Wednesday and Thursday. As reported by on.orf.at, the allegations are of serious fraud and fraudulent insolvency — and this is the weightiest charge yet brought against the property investor. If convicted, he faces up to ten years in prison.
The Economic and Corruption Prosecution Authority (WKStA) alleges that Benko gave a "false guarantee" to representatives of the private foundation of industrialist Hans Peter Haselsteiner on 6 November 2023 — a few weeks before the insolvency of Signa Holding. The foundation is alleged to have been harmed by approximately five million euros as a result.
The allegations in detail
Specifically, representatives of the private foundation are alleged to have been induced to transfer approximately 3.3 million euros to Signa Holding GmbH, in which Haselsteiner had an interest. In addition, they are alleged to have refrained from demanding repayment of a further 1.7 million euros. According to prosecutors, the money was intended for a Signa subsidiary company that had run into difficulties.
According to the indictment, in the guarantee declaration, it was falsely promised that the approximately five million euros would be repaid to the private foundation by 30 June 2024 at the latest — which did not happen. Signa Holding and another company are alleged to have been unlawfully enriched as a result.
The background: Haselsteiner and his family foundation had acquired Signa Development shares worth five million euros in June 2022. The purchase price was not originally to be paid in cash, but rather set off against due dividends. Benko is alleged to have then asked the industrialist for immediate transfer of the amount and guaranteed that he would repay it by the end of June 2024 as a dividend — which did not happen. In addition, Benko is alleged to have indicated he would personally step in should the dividend not be paid.
Haselsteiner to testify for first time
The 82-year-old STRABAG founder and long-standing Signa investor Haselsteiner is called as a witness for Wednesday morning. This is his first testimony in a criminal trial in connection with the entire Signa or Benko matter. A total of twelve further witnesses are called in the proceedings, around half of them to be questioned on the first day of trial. The hearings are scheduled for 08:45 to 20:00 on each day.
Hunting rifle as second count
In addition to the fraud allegation, fraudulent insolvency also appears on the charge sheet. Benko is alleged to have concealed a hunting rifle valued at 80,000 euros from the insolvency administrator and creditors — with the result that their claims could not be or could only partially be satisfied.
Benko's lawyer Norbert Wess had already rejected the allegations in a statement in June. "We cannot follow the allegations in the indictment even on legal grounds," Wess said to the APA. The claim against the Haselsteiner private foundation had already been overdue before the guarantee declaration was given, and the hunting rifle in question had never been in René Benko's ownership at any time.
Electronic monitoring instead of remand
Whether Benko will also testify in court this time or — as in previous proceedings — will rely on his lawyer's submissions remains to be seen. Since mid-October he has been wearing an electronic monitoring bracelet, after a bail review hearing approved it. Benko has been living in a rental apartment since then; the remand in custody existing since January 2025 continues with electronic monitoring.
The hearing will take place in the Grand Jury Court in Innsbruck, as have the previous Benko trials.
Previous convictions and ongoing investigations
At the end of September, Benko was convicted in separate proceedings at the Innsbruck Regional Court of fraudulent insolvency and sentenced to 30 months unconditional imprisonment — the sentence has since become final. It concerned a gift of 300,000 euros to his mother and a rental prepayment of approximately 360,000 euros for a villa on Innsbruck's Hungerburg.
Furthermore, the Supreme Court (OGH) recently confirmed another insolvency conviction: in December 2025, Benko was sentenced in his hometown to 15 months conditional imprisonment and an unconditional fine of 4,320 euros because he is alleged to have withheld watches and cufflinks from creditors.
The WKStA is now investigating 17 different matters in connection with the collapse of the Signa property group. Benko is not the accused in all investigation strands — the allegations also concern other senior Signa executives.
Source: Google News AT — Crime (de)