Signa founder Benko returns to court: retrial concerning €360,000 payment
René Benko must appear again before Innsbruck Regional Court on 22 September. The focus is on the charge of fraudulent bankruptcy.
Benko returns to Innsbruck Regional Court
Detained Signa founder René Benko will appear before Innsbruck Regional Court again on 22 September. As bluewin.ch reports, the Regional Court confirmed the date on Friday. A substitute date has been scheduled for the following day.
The background to this is a retrial ordered by the Austrian Supreme Court (OGH) in July, after it had overturned a partial acquittal of Benko. The centre of the proceedings concerns the charge of fraudulent bankruptcy – that is, the damage caused to creditors in connection with insolvency.
Specifically, the case concerns a rental advance payment of €360,000 for a villa in the Hungerburg district of Innsbruck. Benko is alleged to have used this to remove assets from the reach of his creditors prior to his insolvency as a sole trader. However, the OGH upheld a conviction regarding a gift of €300,000 to his mother. The total damages in the ongoing proceedings thus amount to around €660,000. The sentencing range is between one and ten years' imprisonment.
Benko is expected to have to appear in court again in October due to further charges. The Austrian Economic and Corruption Prosecution Office (WKStA) accuses him of serious fraud and further creditor damage. Among other things, he is alleged to have provided a false guarantee to former Strabag chief Hans Peter Haselsteiner and representatives of his family foundation, thereby causing the foundation damage of around €5 million.
Most recently, new investigations also became known. These concern payments for a fleet of vehicles and stays in a luxury chalet at Arlberg, as well as suspicion that he subsequently inserted signatures of Signa investors into a shareholders' resolution.
To date, Benko has rejected the charges against him. He has been in investigative custody since January 2025.
Source: Google News CH — Crime (de)