New accusations

Judiciary under fire: “This stinks to high heaven!”

(Bild: APA/Helmut Fohringer, Krone KREATIV)

Andreas Unterberger writes in his latest blog about a new, unbelievable coincidence concerning the judge Michael Radasztics, who has been criticized for bias: According to this, the disciplinary court that sentenced Radasztics described a statement by Peter Pilz as "implausible". The latter had exonerated the judge and former public prosecutor. On the very day the verdict was published, the offense of giving false testimony was time-barred!

In his "diary", the former editor-in-chief ("Presse", "Wiener Zeitung") sheds new light on the events surrounding a disciplinary sanction against the Kurz judge, who was still a public prosecutor at the time. He comes to the conclusion that this judge should not have presided over "the biggest show trial of the year". The fact that the Radasztics conviction with the suspicion against Pilz was announced exactly on February 26, 2024 is not only strange because it was published three days after Sebastian Kurz's verdict.

The offense of giving false testimony was also time-barred for the first time on that day. Pilz could have been charged for his testimony for five years. "This stinks to high heaven!", writes Unterberger.

Former Chancellor Kurz (right) was given a conditional prison sentence by Judge Radasztics for false testimony - it was immediately appealed.

(Bild: APA/Helmut Fohringer, Krone KREATIV)

According to the blogger, a thorough investigation as well as a high-ranking resignation in the judicial system would be due by now at the latest. "And for the first time in a long time, a parliamentary committee of inquiry would now also be justified, in which a few players in this judicial system would have to testify under an obligation to tell the truth," says Unterberger.

Pilnacek suspended for the same offense
After all, the criticism of Radasztics was about the disclosure of information from files. In other words, the same offense that the former head of section Christian Pilnacek was accused of. He had unlawfully informed a journalist about a file detail. "Pilnacek was suspended and driven to his death by maintaining his suspension for years", Unterberger said verbatim.

He then goes much further with his accusations against Radasztics: It is not only the proceedings against Kurz and Grasser in which Radasztics is severely damaging the reputation of the independent judiciary. Radasztics had also been active in earlier - de facto political - proceedings which, quite by chance, had always been against bourgeois exponents - from Alfons Mensdorff-Pouilly to Julius Meinl.

"Sluggish" Madoff proceedings
When he was still a public prosecutor, the Kurz judge is also said to have conducted the investigations into the Bernard Madoff fraud case only "sluggishly". The case of an investment fund based on a Ponzi scheme, which was uncovered in 2008, was the largest fraud ever known globally, with losses of more than 50 billion euros and 4,800 victims. In Austria, certificates worth around two billion were sold via Bank Medici and the then still bright red Bank Austria. While the American proceedings surrounding Madoff were pursued swiftly and rigorously, Radasztics and another public prosecutor discontinued the investigations against the red bankers.

The Minister of Justice has remained silent on all the allegations. She has consistently refused requests for interviews. Standing phrase: It is important to let the judiciary "work independently".