Grasser in the OGH: Destination of fate around millions of fraud begins!

Grasser in the OGH: Destination of fate around millions of fraud begins!

In the Vienna Palace of Justice, a well-expected appeal procedure in the Buwog-Causa began on Thursday around the former finance minister Karl-Heinz Grasser. This faces serious allegations, including infidelity, forgery of evidence and illegal gift acceptance. In December 2020, Grasser was sentenced to eight years in prison, but the judgment is not yet final. Together with Grasser, other high-ranking defendants such as Walter Meischberger, the former FPÖ general secretary, and lobbyist Peter Hochegger, who have also appealed, are also affected, such as Oe24 reported .

The negotiations at the Supreme Court (OGH) extend over four days, although it remains unclear whether all appointments are needed. Grasser's lawyers argue that the verdict is "void" and rely on a variety of procedural errors that, in their opinion, devalue the initial judgment. Grasser himself did not comment on the negotiation, but his defender described the process as politically motivated. The indictment also refers to the controversial privatization of the housing associations Buwog, WAG, EBS and ESG between 2000 and 2007, in which insider information and commission payments played a central role, as ORF reported .

complex complications and possible consequences

The Causa Buwog revolves around the sale of 60,000 apartments for 961 million euros, with Grasser knowingly misused his powers to secure advantages for certain companies. Part of the commissions is said to have flowed through a network of mailbox companies and accounts, with a sum of around 7.7 million euros in Grasser. In the past negotiations, the General Procurature recommended that the judgment be lifted in the guilt, with the exception of the forgery of evidence.

The decision of the OGH is of immense importance. If the judgment is confirmed, Grasser could have to go to prison. In contrast, if the court picks up the judgments or orders a new release, the whole process would begin again and possibly continue for years. The Buwog process thus remains a central topic in Austrian financial law and throws a shadow on the policy of the past two decades.