When the wife goes for a walk:

Investigators search several Benko bases

There was a police operation at Benko's villa on Tuesday morning. Meanwhile, his wife was out walking the dog.

(Bild: Birbaumer Christof/Krone KREATIV)

A major police operation was carried out on Tuesday morning at the villa of Tyrolean real estate juggler René Benko in Innsbruck-Igls and also at the Signa headquarters in Vienna. The Cobra special task force was also on site. His lawyer also responded to the search of Benko's villa.

The operation in Innsbruck started at 7.30 am. In addition to police officers in uniform and plain clothes, the Cobra was also on site with several officers. Several police vehicles and vans were also parked at the villa. At around 9.45 a.m., the forensics team apparently passed through the gates that sealed off the imposing property.

Benko's wife took the dog for a walk
The Signa founder behaved "cooperatively and constructively" during the house search, according to his lawyer Norbert Wess. Benko's wife was also spotted - she took the dog for a walk during the operation. Numerous neighbors and onlookers had also gathered in front of the villa.

Police operation at Signa headquarters in Vienna
A search of the Signa headquarters also took place in Vienna at around 7.40 am. According to eyewitnesses, around ten officers were deployed in Herrengasse to remove a large metal container with around 70 to 80 kilos of contents.

Pictures of the operation in Herrengasse

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Five to ten locations affected
A total of five to ten locations were searched, reported the Ö1 "Mittagsjournal". One of them is the private address of long-time Signa CFO Manuel Pirolt, as his lawyer Michael Rohregger confirmed to ORF radio. The allegations are already known: "It is either that financial resources in the Signa Group were not used for the intended purpose or that the financial circumstances were not correctly presented in financing transactions."

The WKStA lists the Signa manager as a defendant in five cases, but he denies all allegations. "We will comment on the allegations to the prosecution authorities as soon as possible. We are very confident that they can all be dispelled as substantively incorrect." However, the investigation proceedings are not public for good reason, which is why no further public statements will be made, Wess said, referring to the non-public nature of the proceedings in accordance with the Code of Criminal Procedure.

During today's house search, tablets, cell phones and USB sticks were seized.

Lawyer confirms house search in Innsbruck
"I can confirm the following: Yes, a search is currently taking place on site to seize any documents relating to the allegations that have already been reported in the media - the police and the WKStA are acting very professionally and our client - as the authorities have just confirmed to me - is again acting cooperatively and constructively. I can't say any more about this ad hoc," explained Wess regarding the operation in Innsbruck.

"The house search was ordered by the Public Prosecutor's Office for Economic Affairs and Corruption," said the trustee in bankruptcy of Signa Holding, Christof Stapf. Together with the expert (Deloitte), the necessary data protection measures had already been initiated in December and the company was working closely with the authorities. The WKStA could not be reached for comment for the time being.

Investigations in Germany too
The Munich public prosecutor's office is also investigating suspected money laundering and possible insolvency offenses in Germany. The economic and corruption prosecutor's office confirmed in April, as did Benko's lawyer Wess, that Benko himself was also under investigation. The investigation apparently concerns a loan of 25 million euros from an Austrian bank, which Benko is accused of having concealed Signa's financial situation when it was extended last summer.

Signa, which is active in retail and above all in the real estate business, has suffered the biggest bankruptcy in Austrian economic history. In March, bankruptcy proceedings were also opened against the assets of Tyrolean Signa founder Benko. 30 creditors asserted around two billion euros in claims. Only 47.3 million of these were initially recognized.