Russian espionage case
Nehammer convenes National Security Council
The Vienna Regional Court has ruled: Ex-BVT employee Egisto Ott, who is suspected of espionage, must be remanded in custody. According to the "Krone" newspaper, there is strong suspicion of the crime. In view of the current events, Federal Chancellor Karl Nehammer convenes the National Security Council (NSR) on April 9.
On Sunday, the Vienna public prosecutor's office requested that Ott, who was arrested on Friday, be remanded in custody. The prosecution authorities have been investigating the former constitutional protection officer since 2017 on charges including abuse of office, secret intelligence to the detriment of Austria and violation of official secrecy.
"The grounds for arrest were assumed to be the risk of concealment and the risk of committing the crime," said court spokeswoman Christina Salzborn. The decision is already legally binding because the suspect has not lodged an appeal. The court does not see a possible risk of absconding, as Ott has not evaded proceedings to date.
Ex-son-in-law also arrested
The arrest was preceded by recent information that Ott had allegedly handed over the cell phone contents of top officials to Russian spies. Ott's ex-son-in-law, who is believed to have contributed to the crime, was also arrested. However, he has been released due to a lack of urgent suspicion.
About Egisto Ott
Ott was an employee of the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution and Counterterrorism (BVT), which has since been dissolved. Most recently, he made the headlines in connection with the fugitive ex-Wirecard board member Jan Marsalek, whom he is said to have assisted in setting up a spy cell for Russia within the BVT. Ott - together with former BVT department head Martin Weiss - is said to have procured information for Marsalek and Russia, drawing on his previous activities as a constitutional protector and police attaché.
Arrest thanks to tips from Great Britain
Information from the UK led to Ott's arrest: in the summer of 2022, he had transmitted the mirrored contents of the smartphones of three (former) top officials from the Ministry of the Interior to Russian intelligence services - presumably the FSB domestic intelligence service.
The stolen smartphones are said to be the devices of Michael Kloibmüller, who was Head of Cabinet at the Ministry of the Interior for many years, the current Federal Police Director Michael Takacs and Gernot Maier, Director of the Federal Office for Immigration and Asylum. Ott is presumed innocent.
Nehammer: accusations are "serious"
"There are allegations of espionage against Egisto Ott, a former employee of the BVT. These allegations are serious. On the one hand, these allegations must now be clarified by the judiciary. On the other hand, the security situation in the Republic must be assessed and clarified," said Nehammer.
"We must prevent Russian spy networks from threatening our country by infiltrating or instrumentalizing political parties or networks. The National Security Council is the body in which these issues can be discussed, which is why I will convene it on April 9," concludes the Chancellor.
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