Benko investigations

The political connections of the head of SOKO Signa

Key figure in the Benko investigations: Manuel Scherscher (center), once in Sobotka's cabinet (left), then a candidate on Kurz's turquoise list

(Bild: Krone KREATIV/Klemens Groh, APA/Georg Hochmuth, APA/Helmut Fohringer)

Manuel Scherscher, once a close associate of Wolfgang Sobotka in the Ministry of the Interior, ran for the National Council for the ÖVP under Sebastian Kurz in 2019. He is now tasked with driving forward the investigation into financial juggler René Benko, who had a close relationship with Sobotka and Kurz.

Manuel Scherscher is a fan of Sebastian Kurz. In 2019, he donned a turquoise "Wir für Kurz" jacket and campaigned for the then frontman together with ÖVP parliamentarian Andreas Hanger during the election campaign. He not only posed with ÖVP party chairman August Wöginger, but also with Wolfgang Sobotka, his former boss at the Ministry of the Interior.

Like Scherscher, Sobotka comes from the Mostviertel region. The current President of the National Council led the Lower Austrian state list at the time. Scherscher came fifth on the Mostviertel ÖVP list for the 2019 National Council elections. A photo on his Facebook profile also shows him with Sebastian Kurz.

In principle, this commitment to Kurz and the People's Party would be perfectly fine and not worth mentioning. Why shouldn't a committed local leader and deputy local party chairman of the ÖVP Amstetten stand up for his political positions? However, things are a little more delicate in Scherscher's case: the 45-year-old has been in an exposed position since 2017.

The Federal Criminal Police Office is investigating the Signa complex on behalf of the economic and corruption prosecutor's office

(Bild: APA/Georg Hochmuth)

Appearance of bias?
Scherscher heads the white-collar crime department at the Austrian Federal Criminal Police Office. In this role, the criminalist, who was even deputy director of this authority for a time, is also head of the SOKO Signa, which was set up at the beginning of March 2024 to drive forward the investigation into financial juggler René Benko in connection with the biggest bankruptcy of the Second Republic.

Sebastian Kurz and Wolfgang Sobotka are obviously Benko confidants. Couldn't the recent political past of the head of the SOKO give rise to the appearance of bias? Especially when the public now has the impression that the criminal investigations against bankrupt Benko and Co. are progressing rather slowly?

With Benko on Lake Garda
Kurz on the facts: Sebastian Kurz has had close ties with René Benko for years. As chancellor, he opened the Tyrolean's first doors in the Middle East, and as an entrepreneur, he developed brisk business activities for the Signa Group from 2022. In June 2023, Kurz helped the real estate speculator Benko to land a 100-million-euro financing from Abu Dhabi. He invoiced a total fee of around 2.5 million euros, but was only to receive one million due to the onset of Signa's bankruptcy proceedings.

In the summer of 2017, shortly before his first leap into the chancellorship, Kurz - then foreign minister - was the keynote speaker at Benko's exclusive summer party at Villa Ansaldi on Lake Garda. The second top ÖVP politician invited to this 650,000 euro party was Wolfgang Sobotka, then Minister of the Interior, in whose cabinet Scherscher worked.

Sobotka flight in Benko's private jet
For years, Sobotka's political opponents have alleged a close relationship with the real estate speculator. Research by "Krone" and "News" shows that the ties to Benko are even closer than previously known. The following planned meetings, mainly at off-peak times, are documented in official Signa diaries:

September 26, 2016, Kurz and Sobotka, 10.30 p.m.

November 22, 2016, Park Hyatt, dinner Minister Sobotka, 8 p.m.

March 29, 2017, dinner at Schindler, Innsbruck, 8 p.m.

May 8, 2017, Signa office Vienna, 9 to 10.30 p.m.

June 19, 2017, Signa office Vienna, 9 p.m. to 11 p.m.

May 2, 2018

May 17, 2018 (with reservation)

May 29, 2018

June 5, 2018, 9.30 p.m.

February 6, 2019, Signa office Vienna, 9.30 p.m.

July 16, 2019, Park Hyatt, 10 p.m.

January 22, 2020, 8 p.m.

September 23, 2020, 7.30 pm

January 27, 2021, 8.30 pm

April 20, 2021, 9.30 pm

July 5, 2023, 9 p.m.

Benko bought himself an oversized jet - and took the Minister of the Interior with him from Innsbruck to Vienna.

(Bild: Kronen Zeitung/Christof Birbaumer, APA/Roland Schlager, Krone KREATIV)

In addition, Sobotka flew with Benko in his private jet from Innsbruck to Vienna at the end of January 2017, when he was Minister of the Interior. National Council President Sobotka did not want to comment on the flight or its payment, nor on the reason for the numerous meetings with Benko.

The Federal Criminal Police Office also left questions about the appearance of bias and potential conflicts of interest of its SOKO Signa chief Scherscher unanswered. It also remained open whether there is a regulation for senior investigators who want to become active for a party on the federal political stage.

"Responsible for coordination between the authorities "
The statement was basically: "The official management of SOKO-Signa lies with the Federal Criminal Police Office, not ad personam with Manuel Scherscher. Scherscher is head of the white-collar crime department, and due to this position and the division of responsibilities, it is his responsibility to perform the tasks of the official management of SOKO-Signa." He therefore "represents SOKO externally" and is "responsible for coordination between the authorities" (e.g. the Federal Criminal Police Office and the Public Prosecutor's Office for Economic Crime and Corruption).

This "official management" is to be distinguished from the "operational SOKO management". "Investigation orders are issued by the public prosecutor's office to the operational SOKO management. The operational SOKO management is responsible for carrying out the investigation orders and reports to the WKStA in accordance with the Code of Criminal Procedure."

The core team in the white-collar crime department currently has 16 additional investigators at its disposal.